This is an FYI, especially for those of you who own property in eastern Ontario along the proposed High-Speed Rail (HSR) corridor.
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 at the end of March 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".
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!
Here is a link to the interactive map from the Alto website showing the possible route for the proposed high-speed rail https://en.consultation.altotrain.ca/shaping-the-canada-of-tomorrow-with-high-speed-rail/places/interact-map
Its not that easy to find. There are two paths being considered between Peterborough and Carleton Place/Smiths Falls. One through the Cambrian Shield and one through farmland and environmentally sensitive areas. There is no planned stop in Kingston. There are three stations in Ontario and 4 in Quebec in the final project.
On the 24 April, 2018, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture issues a statement about the federal government's proposed High-Speed Rail.
OFA Position
The OFA is highly skeptical that the proposed High-Speed Rail concept will provide sustainable, effective, and efficient transportation with any net benefit for Ontarians. For rural and small towns, it downloads all the associated problems, with none of the ascribed benefits. OFA is calling for a comprehensive analysis of costs and benefits of High-Speed Rail proposal including all costs and benefits applicable to rural residents, communities, and farm businesses.
OFA is concerned about the impact these special rails would have on farm operations, including potential severances and farm access for large equipment. While the Canada Transportation Act (1996) guarantees the right to a crossing through newly built railways, this requirement is difficult to fulfill safely when trains travel at 300km/h. Additionally, the dimensions of a rail crossing may limit its farm’s future growth and ability to pivot business operations. Farm equipment is increasing in size and complexity, and there is no indication this trend will reverse. Farmers must be guaranteed in perpetuity safe access to their lands and the ability to convey people, equipment, and crops across the rail line.
Should the High-Speed Rail project proceed, OFA wants to see a commitment from the railways to be responsible for the construction and maintenance of essential safety infrastructure, including fencing.
