Are you aware that the liberal government has approved a High-Speed Rail project to travel from Toronto to Quebec? 

A new Crown Corporation, Alto, has been established to oversee the project.  Public consultations are underway and will end on April 24, 2026. See https://www.altotrain.ca/en for information about the project and the public consultations. The Ottawa in-public meetings took place in January.

Why is this project important to property owners? 

Federal Bill C-15 proposes substantial amendments to the Expropriation Act to facilitate the development of a high-speed rail network connecting Ontario and Quebec.  Please see what Toronto expropriation lawyers Davies Howe have to say about Bill C-15 at https://davieshowe.com/bill-c-15-key-changes-to-the-federal-expropriation-act-for-high-speed-rail-projects/  The rights of property owners during expropriation for this project are being limited or removed.

Here is a link to Bill C-15: https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/45-1/bill/C-15/first-reading. Imbedded in the Act is the High-Speed Rail Network Act. This Act states: 

This probably can be interpreted as "In the national interest".

Please note that this Bill has passed in the House of Commons (on division) and has passed the Senate as of March 26, 2026.

A group in South Frontenac has already mobilized to oppose the project. They have a Facebook page "Save South Frontenac: No High Speed Rail..." They are actively trying to raise awareness of the project and reach out to elected officials to get more information.

The first leg of the project is from Ottawa to Montreal. The Mayor of Ottawa supports the project and wants the Ottawa HSR station to be at Union Station. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/sutcliffe-backs-downtown-station-for-high-speed-rail-9.7065062#:~:text=Mayor%20Mark%20Sutcliffe%20wants%20Alto%27s,during%20a%20city%20council%20meeting. There was no notification from the City of Ottawa, that I am aware of, about the in-person public consultations in Ottawa, at the end of January.

I am still trying to get my head around this. I trust you will find this as worrisome as I do!

Please consider signing MP Scott Reid's petition opposing the High-Speed Rail project:

https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Search?View=D&type=&keyword=38333&sponsor=&text=Scott%20reid&RPP=20&order=Recent&Page=1&category=Open

This just in (March 24, 2026) - a map of the corridor that you can actually read. Why couldn't Alto have done this?  This didn't work on my mobile but works wonderfully on my laptop. Kudos to those who developed it.

https://highspeedrailmap.ca/

See the story here Wainfleet, Ont. home owners are at risk of having their homes seized— for renting their properties (youtube.com)

Meanwhile, in Ottawa, just outside the rural village of Fitzroy Harbour, the community is fighting the potential construction of a large BESS installation. Turned down by the City of Ottawa last year, the Province nevertheless gave the company Evolugen the go-ahead to come back to council and try again to get approval. The community says the location chosen, just outside the village, is the wrong place to build. Read more here Alliance to Protect West Carleton - Fire Suppression and Preparedness. 

Read the article here https://farmersforum.com/stone-age-buries-farmer-in-red-tape/