No. 39
June 5, 2026
Join the Rally on Parliament Hill on June 10
• Oppose Carney Government's Alto Nation-Wrecking Project
• Farmers'
Organizations Call for Responsible,
Agriculture-Focused Planning
• Alto High Speed
Rail: The Wrong Project,
in the Wrong Way, at the Wrong Time
Farmers and Communities Speak Out
• "Our Land is Neither For Sale Nor For Inspections"
• Discussion on Facebook Concerning the Alto Project
• United Counties of Prescott and Russell Oppose Carney Government's ALTO High-Speed Rail Project
Letters to the Editor
• Opposition to Alto High Speed Rail Project
For Your Information
• Ploys to
Circumvent and Stifle Opposition to
Alto High-Speed Rail Project
Join the Rally on Parliament Hill on June 10
Oppose Carney Government's Alto
Nation-Wrecking Project
On June 10, communities in Quebec and Ontario will demonstrate to express their profound opposition to the Carney government's Alto High-Speed Rail (Alto-TGV) nation-wrecking project. The rally is organized on the initiative of the Quebec Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA). It will take place in front of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill from noon to 3:30 pm.
For months, farmers, maple syrup
producers, foresters, communities and their allies have been
holding rallies, pickets, meetings, and discussions about the
Alto-TGV project. They are putting up No
to Alto! signs on their land, distributing them and
engaging in serious discussions within their organizations and
on social media. These activities are taking place in Mirabel,
Portneuf, Brownsburg-Chatham, Lanaudière, Mauricie, Quebec City,
Lake St. Peter, Kingston, Peterborough, Havelock, Madoc and
Sharbot Lake, Stone Miles, North Frontenac, Hastings County,
Rideau Lakes, as well as other places.
As leaked information about the project becomes known to the public, people discuss it and voice their opposition. On May 5, as the planting season was beginning for farmers, the president and CEO of the Crown corporation Alto which is building the project, Martin Imbleau, announced, for the first time, that the railway would cross approximately 1,700 properties, including at least 500 farms, between Montreal and Ottawa. "There are roughly 30 to 40 per cent farmers on that land, that's about 500 farmers, something like that," he said matter-of-factly, bluntly, without the slightest hint of concern or shame. The opposition was fast and furious.
On May 9, farmers in Portneuf called for the immediate halt of the high-speed rail project. According to UPA, of the 400 farms in the Portneuf region, at least 120 would be crossed by the high-speed rail line linking Quebec City and Toronto, which means they could be forced to cease operations. The region is located in the heart of the rail corridor defined by Alto. The train's speed of 300 km/h dictates a straight route that would bisect the farmland. "Farmland is not a variable to be adjusted. Once fragmented or lost, it cannot be replaced," said Christian Hébert, president of the UPA in Portneuf.
UPA and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), joined by the Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO), are among the organizations that have called on the federal government and the federal Minister of Transport to immediately suspend the Alto-TGV project. At their annual general meeting on February 19, BFO members voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution formally opposing the proposed project. Farmers in Eastern Ontario, supported by the Union of Franco-Ontarian Farmers (UCFO), are also overwhelmingly opposed to the Alto-TGV project. They categorically refuse to grant the project access to their land, denouncing plans to forcibly displace them from their farmland.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) of Canada, in a press release dated April 15, stated, among other things, that "Alto's secretive, unaccountable and baseless High Speed Rail (HSR) project--to build a bullet train between Toronto and Quebec City -- must be stopped quickly. [...] Alto HSR will mean significantly less funding for much-needed projects that would deliver real results, and long-term austerity for low-priority sectors. Too often agriculture is seen as low priority -- as the short-sighted closure of agricultural farms and research stations in January [by the Mark Carney government -- TML Ed. Note] showed us -- pinching pennies today while throwing away a 30:1 return on investment that benefits farms, their communities, and the dwindling next generation of farmers."
Yves Laurencelle, President of
the UPA National Capital Region -- North Shore pointed out that,
"In the National Capital Region, the project could result in the
loss of more than 300 hectares of farmland, maple groves, and
woodlands, according to our preliminary estimates -- more than
three times the size of the Plains of Abraham. A project of this
magnitude cannot be based on incomplete figures or inaccessible
studies. Citizens have a right to complete transparency
regarding the true costs and long-term impacts."
To deal with the Alto-TGV project, the UPA Outaouais-Laurentides has decided to provide psychological support to agricultural producers located in the project corridor. Their distress is growing due to the uncertainty surrounding potential expropriations, the possible destruction of their livelihoods and environment, and the government's disregard for their work, their dignity, and their crucial contribution to feeding Quebec.
As part of the movement opposing the Alto-TGV project, municipalities have also taken a stand against the Alto project or expressed concerns. On March 30, the municipal council of Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures in the National Capital Region adopted a resolution expressing reservations and reiterating the need to protect the land. Terrebonne and Mascouche are demanding, at a minimum, a genuine public consultation process, as Alto's "consultation" was broadly contested. The Township of Champlain in the Outaouais region adopted a resolution on May 11 opposing the proposed route and refusing access to its municipal lands for studies. In Ontario, the Townships of Champlain, Russell, La Nation, Alfred-Plantagenet, and Hawkesbury, as well as the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, oppose the project.
Community meeting in Chute-à-Blondeau, May
20, 2026, against high speed rail project
The project has sparked massive
opposition. Besides the wrecking involved, the lack of
transparency on basic essential matters of concern is stark
evidence that the government is running roughshod over the
people in the name of nation-building. There is no evidence
whatsoever that this project has anything to do with
nation-building. Numerous questions remain regarding its true
purpose, its impact on public safety and access to emergency
services, what it will cost, the protection of agricultural land
-- so crucial for food sovereignty -- and soil conservation. No
serious, thoughtful, detailed answers supported by scientific
analysis have been provided to instill confidence and provide
peace of mind. The consultations held were perfunctory, phony.
They did not withstand close scrutiny by the public and proved
to be aimed at securing acceptance of a project that had already
been decided. But more importantly, the core issue is the
complete lack of decision-making power of thousands of people on
a matter that concerns all the regions involved and society as a
whole.
On the cost front alone, the Alto project is currently estimated to cost between $60 and $90 billion with some public analyses suggesting a total cost that could exceed $100 billion or even more. Some analysts have pointed out that a project using existing infrastructure could achieve similar goals in terms of mobility, emissions reduction and modernization, while costing up to three times less.
The claim of the Carney government that the Alto high-speed rail project is of "national importance" that will "transform the country" convinces nobody. It is a project that will make billions of dollars for narrow private interests and everyone knows it. The expropriation of farms, the extensive environmental damage and destruction of the social fabric are self-serving and the people do not intend to be silenced. The Alto project must not pass! Join the June 10 rally in front of Parliament Hill to say with one voice No to the Alto Project!
Rideau Hall, picket against ALTO, May 16, 2026
Picketing on the northern route against Alto
Farmers' Organizations Call for Responsible, Agriculture-Focused Planning
As planning progresses for the Alto high-speed rail project, which aims to link Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City, representatives of the Canadian agricultural sector are calling for the project to be put on hold.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and the Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA) are calling for an immediate suspension of the project to allow for a rigorous and transparent analysis. The route currently envisaged for the high-speed rail project would pass through areas containing some of the most productive farmland in Ontario and Quebec.
"Ontario's farmland is a strategic asset of provincial and national importance, and its optimal use remains agriculture. It is worth remembering that the agricultural and agri-food sector is a cornerstone of Ontario's economic prosperity," said Drew Spoelstra, President of the OFA. "This sector, which relies on productive farmland, contributes $51 billion annually to the provincial economy and accounts for approximately 10 per cent of Ontario's workforce."
"So-called 'projects of national interest' must not undermine the vitality of rural communities, the sustainability of businesses and farmland, the potential of the maple syrup and forestry industries, or the food security of the population, which should be the real priority. Mirabel Airport is an example not to be followed. Let us take the time to properly assess the relevance and impacts of the high-speed rail project, and to consult the public in due course, before moving forward," said UPA President Martin Caron.
The OFA and the UPA are calling on the provincial and federal governments, as well as Alto, to:
- Avoid routing the high-speed rail project through high-quality agricultural areas;
- Prevent the fragmentation of farms and maintain the integrity of fields and agricultural operations;
- Protect agricultural drainage systems;
- Address producers' concerns regarding the impacts of construction work and recurring costs, including the installation of fencing and the construction, upgrading and long-term maintenance of safe agricultural crossings for machinery and livestock;
- Ensure that agricultural impact assessments are independent, rigorous and made public.
This call for a pause follows the adoption, on February 25, of a resolution at the annual general meeting of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) calling on the Government of Canada to immediately suspend the project to allow for a comprehensive assessment of the economic, social and environmental impacts, as well as meaningful consultation with the farming, forestry and rural communities affected.
Following discussions between representatives of the agricultural sector earlier this week, the resolution was presented by UPA President Martin Caron and supported by OFA President Drew Spoelstra.
The resolution states that, should the project ultimately go ahead, it must guarantee continued full access to farmland, maple groves and woodlands, as well as the provision of adequately sized agricultural and forestry crossings (with a minimum width of 10 metres), where required. It also stipulates that producers must receive fair and proportionate compensation, recognizing the permanent and greater impacts of the high-speed rail project compared to those associated with motorways or power lines.
For further information see:
The Ontario Federation of
Agriculture
The Union des producteurs agricoles
Townhall in Casselman, Ontario against Alto project, May 6, 2026
Alto High Speed Rail: The Wrong Project, in the Wrong Way, at the Wrong Time
The National Farmers Union (NFU) wants green, affordable, and reliable public transportation, and Alto isn't it.
The NFU has a long history of
advocacy for effective, long-term public transportation
solutions, adopting multiple resolutions over the years that
call for the expansion of inter-city and community public
transit -- particularly rail-based systems -- thereby reducing
car and air passengers, reducing greenhouse gas and carbon
emissions, and delivering accessible, sustainable public
transportation. Despite the marketing, Alto is none of those
things.
That's why Alto's secretive, unaccountable and baseless High Speed Rail (HSR) project -- to build a bullet train between Toronto and Quebec city -- must be stopped quickly. Alto HSR was given a green-light in 2024 and added to the Major Projects Office's list last year to "accelerate engineering, regulatory, and permitting work" -- while parallel changes to the Expropriation Act will speed up the acquisition of properties for the new Right-of-Way for this HSR project.
This is a hasty, ill-considered commitment to billions of dollars of taxpayer funding per year over two generations to construct high speed rail with little supporting evidence or accountability. Alto HSR will mean significantly less funding for much-needed projects that would deliver real results, and long-term austerity for low-priority sectors. Too often agriculture is seen as low priority -- as the short-sighted closure of agricultural farms and research stations in January showed us -- pinching pennies today while throwing away a 30:1 return on investment that benefits farms, their communities, and the dwindling next generation of farmers.
The NFU, which includes many members who in theory support high speed rail, has seen strong member opposition to the Alto project. For members in its path, that opposition reasonably focuses on the fragmentation and expropriation of farms and farmland, the loss of livelihoods that have been built over generations, and potential impacts on the environment, waterways, local communities, emergency services, quality of life and property values. These are all important areas of concern for the NFU.
But it makes no sense to negotiate mitigation of the impacts of a project before a public determination and accounting of whether the project itself is viable and in the public interest. We have not had that public discussion -- one of three significant problematic features of the Alto HSR project.
First, this is the least transparent mega-project in recent memory. Alto is wrapping up a "consultation" process without having released a feasibility study or business plan. Alto's 2025 "Explanatory Document" was an embarrassing marketing brochure devoid of supporting evidence.
This is a cynical strategy from HSR proponents within the current administration and senior civil service, who are fully aware of the fact that, twice in the past (in 1995 and 2011), fully costed plans and feasibility estimates for HSR projects have been rejected because those numbers and plans made clear, to parliamentarians and the public, that HSR in this context would not deliver on its promises, and be a perpetual drain on our finances.
Second, leadership has embraced a public-private partnership model where Alto, a newly-minted Crown Corporation, is in full project partnership with Cadence, a "multinational group of companies" including Atkins-Réalis, formerly known as SNC Lavelin. Rather than offering discrete private contracts for specific pieces of work -- with clearly-defined timelines and budgets -- this model will severely limit public oversight and guarantee that, when the project goes over-budget, taxpayers will be the only party held accountable.
Third, successful HSR projects build from and rely on a strong foundation of existing, complementary public transportation infrastructure. We do not have that foundation. In the last 50 years conscious policy choices have chronically-underfunded urban public transportation systems in our major cities, privatized national railways, and defunded and decimated a once thriving public rail service. In the 1920s annual ridership peaked at 51 million, whereas today VIA Rail carries about 4 million.
In Canada's major urban metropolitan areas, according to Statistics Canada, daily commuting remains dominated by cars -- 70 per cent of commuters in Toronto and Montreal (78 per cent in Ottawa), while less than 25 per cent use public transit (12 per cent in Ottawa!). Commuting via personal vehicle is much less common in Europe's large metropolitan areas -- 44 per cent of Parisians, 37 per cent in Greater London, 33 per cent in Germany.
Alto has projected impressive ridership numbers -- and the reduced congestion and lower emissions that go with them -- but European HSR projects achieving those numbers required pre-existing complementary rail and public transportation services that we do not possess. What we have now is underdeveloped (e.g. GO! O-Train, REM) or on the downhill slope of neglect (VIA). The majority of VIA rail passengers in the corridor travel less than 250 km per trip, which holds true in similar European corridors even after they have HSR, where people regularly take short trips and only occasionally take the HSR.
HSR is a sleek, popular idea, but it cannot deliver its promise in a country that has starved its public transit system of resources for decades. The good news is that, due to underfunding, Major Projects targeting public transit would fairly quickly be transformative and have an order of magnitude greater impact than HSR on congestion and emissions reduction:
1. Investment that shifts even 10 per cent of daily commuters from personal vehicles to public transit;
2. Investment developing short haul passenger rail services.
We have to start a mega-project of this scale and inter-generational impact with transparent decision-making, based on strong evidence that demonstrates how we are investing wisely in our common future. A democratic process will enable the most beneficial impacts: reducing inter-city car and air passengers; reducing GHG and carbon emissions; and delivering accessible, sustainable public transportation solutions that will benefit communities across the country. Alto HSR in its current form is none of those things. And committing to a 60-year project without proper foresight will rob from the next two generations the opportunity to deliver HSR in Canada -- by building the wrong project in the wrong way, at the wrong time.
Farmers and Communities Speak Out
"Our Land is Neither For Sale Nor For Inspections"
More and more signs and large posters with the words Alto No, No TGV are appearing in flowerbeds and fields along the proposed route of the Alto high-speed rail project in Quebec and Ontario. These clearly and publicly express the communities' opposition to the project.
Another initiative gaining momentum is the refusal to grant access to land targeted by Alto to conduct so-called research. For several months now, residents in both Ontario and Quebec have been receiving requests by mail from the Crown corporation Alto for access to their land. The majority are refusing access. The stand to refuse access has now also become a rallying cry.
A farmer from Saint-Isidore said she received six letters requesting access to her land. Alto is offering her $1,500 for the right to conduct tests there over a three-year period. She indicated that she refused, requesting a confirmation reply to her address to ensure it was properly recorded, which she has not yet received. The farmer is a member of Alt-No, a group formed to oppose the high-speed rail project in Eastern Ontario. She distributes signs opposing the project to farmers in her region.
Farmer from Saint-Isidore
Another farmer in the same region received ten letters. The letters sent by Alto, mandated by VIA Rail and Transport Canada, request access to land for soil testing and archaeological surveys. He considers these letters a provocation. "They're offering us crumbs to come and trample on our property. But it's an insult considering what we risk losing: our livelihood, our history," he said. This farmer manages a 2,800-acre seed business, 70 per cent of which is currently located on the projected route.
In Pendleton, a farmer runs a potato farm -- one of the largest in Ontario. His production depends on smooth traffic flow between his fields, which are separated by what could become the railway line. "During harvest, I cross the current track 150 times a day." He hasn't received a letter yet, but three-quarters of his land lies on the projected Alto line. If the train blocks his usual access and forces him to take a five kilometre detour on public roads each time he goes from one field to another, every day he would travel 750 km with heavy machinery.
Another farmer, who acquired the Central-Eastern Catholic School Board agro-educational centre two years ago in the Navan section near Milton, received a face-to-face visit: "Someone came knocking on our door last week to tell us they wanted to do soil testing," she said. The potential route threatens to cut through her property, taking with it a 32-acre forest essential for educational activities. She refused to grant access.
Another farmer owns a large-scale organic farm in Saint-Bernardin, producing soybeans for human consumption. His farm uses no pesticides or chemical fertilizers. "We don't use chemicals, so all weeding is done mechanically," he said, expressing concern about the social disruption in rural areas, as well as the crucial issue facing farmers: the financial leverage of agricultural businesses whose properties will suffer a serious devaluation due to the uncertainty surrounding the Alto project.
Lise Beauchamp, her son and other farmers in the Lachute-Mirabel region have decided to join forces to defend themselves against Alto and the federal government by creating the Association of Farmers Affected by the Alto High-Speed Rail Project (AATTA). AATTA submitted a brief as part of the Alto consultation process. The Association represents 45 agricultural businesses in Saint-Placide, Mirabel, Saint-André-d'Argenteuil, Lachute, Brownsburg-Chatham, and Saint-Eustache, located within the corridor under consideration for Alto's project.
Ms. Beauchamp, co-owner of the M.G. Proulx farm, which has 320 lactating cows in Saint-Placide in the Laurentians, received a request from Alto for a site visit and refused to allow it. Her farm and those of several other producers are located along the proposed route of the high-speed rail line. How will they access their land on the other side of the tracks? "At the information sessions, the people from Alto say they are going to build overpasses and tunnels, but here in Mirabel, we have many small roads between farmsteads that no one in the general population uses, but that producers use to access their land. Do you think they are going to build structures that will cost millions of dollars each so that five or ten farmers can drive their tractors along them?," she asked.
Map shows location
of farms which have received requests by mail from the Crown
corporation Alto for access to their land.
Discussion on Facebook
Concerning
the Alto Project
Meeting against Alto in Mirabel, May 12, 2026
One person wrote: "Only about two per cent of the total land in Quebec is arable land! Every year, the largest cities, all built on the few remaining beautiful farmlands, insatiably encroach upon vast tracts of land that will never again feed our population once paved over, and this for life [...] Now, with no respect for our precious food source, they want to take away even more hectares of our small but precious Quebec food basket. [...] This high-speed rail route is outrageous, disrespectful to our agriculture and to the entire Quebec population who will soon be left with less food on their plates, and above all, increasingly expensive food. [...] Support our farmers, our guardians, who are fighting for us and for the protection of your children's and grandchildren's food."
A member of Concerned Citizens
Against the Alto Southern Route writes: "And that's precisely
where the problem begins. With a project of this scale,
duration, opacity, and cost, it's no longer just about
infrastructure. It's about power. It's about influence. We're
talking about contracts, consultancy services, subcontracting,
studies, revisions, delays, cost overruns, new rounds of
funding, and a whole network of people and companies that can
profit from those funds for years. For the average citizen, it's
a burden. For politically connected circles, this can become a
virtually unlimited source of support."
He continued: "Parliament is about to adjourn for the summer, and the TRAN [Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities] has not held any hearings regarding Alto. I just read the timeline for South Frontenac: their municipality was informed in April that Alto's mandate had been expanded to include a more southerly route. Neither Alto nor the Ministry made this information public. Was the TRAN committee informed? This information was shared with some stakeholders during consultations, but not others, which is yet another example of poorly conducted consultations that have been criticized by the courts. The government also made promises to the TRAN committee that it did not receive (or that it did receive but which have not been made public for some reason). No hearings have been held since the switch to high-speed rail following the TRAN committee's report on high-frequency rail. I see no notice of any meetings, which is extremely disappointing and infuriating. This project successfully evades all the usual democratic oversight mechanisms."
A Corbyville resident writes: "The impact of the high-speed rail line on farmland -- land expropriation, certainly, but also the impact of the tracks and high-speed trains running nearby -- will be devastating for animal health, access to water and land, crop rotation, and milk quotas (which, among other things, protect the Canadian dairy market and producers). Many of us city dwellers know nothing about agriculture and take it for granted when we walk into Loblaws. The Alto situation is complex, and food security is a key aspect of it."
Mirabel MP Jean-Denis Garon
writes: "The Alto high-speed rail project could exceed $200
billion in public funds. Cost overruns are the norm in
mega-infrastructure projects, not the exception; Alto is already
projected to cost up to $90 billion, but that doesn't include
future overruns. Even a 'conservative' 25 per cent cost overrun
would send the bill soaring to over $100 billion, not to mention
financing costs and interest payments on the debt for decades.
According to the work of Bent Flyvbjerg, an international
authority, megaprojects exceed their initial costs by an average
of about 40 per cent. A McGill University study projects
approximately 10 million passengers, far from the 'up to 24
million' claimed by Alto. Fewer passengers mean less revenue to
make the project profitable. An independent analysis of the
project is urgently needed."
Members of other Facebook groups write:
"Canada doesn't need a high-speed rail line, it needs housing for a population living in one of the coldest countries in the world. A little common sense in Ottawa would do it good."
"More wasted money and ravaged land. So use the unfinished highways. 19, 13, 50, etc. [The Alto project is] not a current need; there are so many other more pressing needs to be met to serve the entire population."
"It's high time all governments took a step back and reviewed their priorities... a high-speed rail line for a handful of people traveling between Quebec City and Toronto [...] wind turbines to enrich private companies at the expense of people in agricultural areas... start by addressing all the corruption and the exorbitant, inflated costs of their friends who bid [...] then we'll see which projects are important and reduce the costs. I'm not targeting any government in particular; they're all caught up in this scheme."
"No project should touch agricultural land. It's our survival. A high-speed rail line that will cost billions and that the government will have to subsidize every year because it will never be profitable: we don't need it."
"Thank you all. We need all our land to continue. Sowing metal won't put food on the table.
"Little King Carney likes to impose himself everywhere."
United Counties of Prescott and Russell Oppose Carney Government's ALTO High-Speed Rail Project
On May 27, at the regular meeting of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell Council (UCPR), the mayors voted against granting ALTO permission to use municipal lands for its field studies. They also acknowledged the resolutions unanimously adopted by the following municipalities and Townships in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell.[1]
Alfred and Plantagenet Township Council Resolution, May 5
BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet supports the Eastern Ontario Warden's Caucus and the UCPR's resolutions to oppose the ALTO High-Speed Rail Project in its current form.[2]
Champlain Township Council Resolution, April 23
WHEREAS the Government of Canada has identified the ALTO high-speed rail project as a major initiative within the Quebec City--Toronto corridor, with an estimated cost of up to $90 billion; and
WHEREAS the proposed routing through rural eastern Ontario would impose significant impacts, including loss of agricultural land, disruption to environmentally sensitive areas, and fragmentation of local road networks; and
WHEREAS these impacts would create long-term financial and service delivery challenges for municipalities, while providing limited local benefit; and
WHEREAS municipalities and residents have not been provided with sufficient consultation or transparent information regarding these impacts; and
WHEREAS existing transportation corridors, including Autoroute 40 and Highway 401, as well as Highway 50 in the Province of Québec, provide a logical and less disruptive route between major urban centres; and
WHEREAS a regional rail link connecting Ottawa to urban centres along the Highway 401 corridor, including Prescott, Brockville, or Kingston, represents a practical, cost-effective, and lower-impact alternative to connect residents to high-speed rail; and
WHEREAS municipalities have a responsibility to protect their communities and quality of life.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the Township of Champlain formally opposes the routing of the ALTO high-speed rail project within its municipal boundaries; and
THAT Council calls on the Government of Canada and project proponents to suspend advancement of such routes until meaningful consultation and full impact disclosure are completed; and
THAT Council advocates for the use of existing transportation corridors, including Autoroute 40 and Highway 401, as well as Highway 50 in the Province of Québec, and for alternatives that minimize impacts on rural communities; and
THAT the interests, safety, and quality of life of residents remain paramount in all decisions related to this project;and
THAT Council does not give permission to ALTO to carry out environmental and geotechnical studies on municipally owned land;
THAT a copy of this resolution be sent to the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada; the Honourable Steve MacKinnon, Minister of Transport; Martin Imbleau, President and CEO of ALTO; Premier Doug Ford; MP Giovanna Mingarelli (Prescott--Russell--Cumberland); MPP Stéphane Sarrazin (Glengarry--Prescott--Russell); the Federation of Canadian Municipalities; the Association of Municipalities of Ontario; the Rural Ontario Municipal Association; the Ontario Federation of Agriculture; the Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus; and all municipalities within the United Counties of Prescott and Russell to support a coordinated regional response.
Casselman Municipality Council Resolution, April 14
BE IS RESOLVED that the Council of the Municipality of Casselman supports Resolution 2026702 of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, which supports the EOWC [Eastern Ontario Warden's Caucus] resolution opposing the ALTO highspeed rail project in its current form.
The Nation Municipality Council Resolution, April 13
WHEREAS on March 19, 2026, the Eastern Ontario Warden's Caucus (EOWC) adopted a resolution to formally oppose the ALTO High-Speed Rail project in its current form.
AND WHEREAS on March 27, 2026, Council of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) adopted resolution number 2026-072 to support said resolution from the Eastern Ontario Warden's Caucus, therefore also formally opposing the ALTO High-Speed Rail project in its current form.
AND WHEREAS Council of The Nation Municipality has received the aforementioned motions and has considered the implications of the project;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Council of The Nation Municipality supports the motions of the EOWC and the UCPR and therefore is formally opposing the ALTO High-Speed Rail project in its current form.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Eastern Ontario Warden's Caucus, the United Counties of Prescott Russell, local member of Provincial Parliament and local Member of Parliament.
Alfred and Plantagenet Township Council Resolution, April 7
BE IT RESOLVED that Council opposes the ALTO High Speed Rail Project and directs that this position be communicated to the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the United Counties of Prescott and Russell Council.
Notes
1. For United Counties of Prescott and Russell meeting agendas and minutes click here and here .
2. Eastern Ontario Warden's Caucus Resolution, March 19,2026.
Letters to the Editor
Opposition to Alto High Speed Rail Project
The Alto train has been brought under the umbrella of Carney's Major Projects Office because, they say, it is a "transformative national initiative." Being included in the Major Projects means that it has the fast-tracked status – this means Transport Canada will coordinate to streamline engineering, permitting and regulatory processes. It means that the government of Canada acts as the "accountable owner," allowing the project to have "smooth coordination" with Indigenous Peoples, municipalities and environmental agencies.
As TML says, there is
no indication that this can be considered a nation-building
initiative or to be of "national importance." For one thing, it
is a regional project with not much benefit for Canadians
outside the very narrow concentrated band of land between
Toronto and Quebec City. No one else in Canada, not even people
outside the main areas in Ontario and Quebec, will benefit. Not
to speak of further regions where there are urgent transport
needs not being fulfilled. Second, as TML also points
out, it is administered by a new crown corporation (Alto) that
"works at arm's length from Via Rail" – the existing crown
corporation. Why is that?
This is clearly not a project that was developed after identifying and analyzing what are the transportation needs of Canada, freight and people. There were no such government studies. It is, as is the new norm, simply in response to some notion of some private concerns that some money can be made here. All the Major Projects have the feature that they are not in response to a study of the situation and the needs of Canadians or their economy, or of Canadian sovereignty, but simply good occasions for profit.
It is part of Mark Carney's claim when he was a banker that he could make capitalism abandon its private goals and "serve the environment" (or the people). How did that work? The COP 26 UN Climate Conference held in Glasgow in 2021, and the massive opposition of the youth of the world to this orientation of "making green profitable," showed it was a disaster that in fact ended right there.
Although the Alto Crown corporation is in charge, in reality all the initiatives are those of the private developer Cadence, a "Canadian-led" multinational group of companies whose mission is to set the dinner table for anyone who wants to make money off infrastructure projects. Nothing to do with meeting any real needs of Canada or of Canadians.
Identifying and addressing real needs of Canadians in transportation would have meant first leaving it under the umbrella of the existing Via Rail where the Canadian expertise presently lies. It would have been found that one of the main problems of transportation in Canada is the lack of separation of people and freight. Private freight companies own 97.5 per cent of the tracks used by the passenger service VIA Rail, which means it has to share the rails with freight, meaning delays and safety issues and that VIA Rail's on-time performance has plummeted, among other things.
Imagine what real nation-building project could be undertaken with the $90 billion dollars given to Cadence's multinational oligarchs!
Reader in Montreal
The high speed rail project from Quebec City to Toronto can in no way be called in the "national interest" or even national in any meaning of the word, except that everyone in the country will have to pay for it. It is ironic that such a project, which will make huge profits for the members of Cadence and all the subcontractors while devastating the environment, is touted as nation-building by the same politicians and national leaders who have overseen the complete elimination of bus services and rail services to most of the country, rail through direct government action in 1990, bus service in the last 15 years with the biggest blow the end of all Greyhound service in 2018. Those rail and bus connections, like the post office, literally linked all communities in Canada and no cartel party today even thinks of restoring them with a national public transportation network. Designating projects of the oligarchs which guarantee their profits and control through public funding and permission as "nation-building" adds insult to injury.
Reader in Etobicoke
There is determined opposition to this project of the Carney government in both Quebec and Ontario. It is revealed as a fraudulent "nation-building" project and another one of a litany of large-scale schemes to pay the rich imposed through the heavy-handed dictate of the state, making a mockery of "consultation" or the people having any voice.
It is significant that, despite the devastating consequences to be felt by many farms, families and communities along the route, there is an eerie silence on the project in the monopoly media. They treat it as a fait accompli, even promoting upbeat ads that give the impression that the public is onside with the project, completely ignoring that no legitimate argument or benefit has been given to the people affected.
Reader in Peterborough
The major agriculture organizations representing tens of thousands of farmers are taking the socially responsible stand to defend their members and society at large. This is in contrast to the Carney government's gross negligence in pushing forward the interests of the billionaires with no regard for the consequences or fate of the people, even passing laws to further justify this impunity.
The OFA and UPA call for a sober assessment and consultation, that those affected must be heard in a serious way, before the digging begins. They even propose alternatives with lesser consequences if the project does go ahead, belying the argument that they are standing in the way of progress. The only thing they are standing in the way of is the governments' increasing acts of impunity.
Reader in Oshawa
The National Farmers Union points out in great detail that the "benefits" of the High-Speed Rail project are fraudulent in every respect, from environmental factors to meeting the needs of commuters to the future of the rail system itself, besides dismissing the essential needs of the farmers themselves. And it reveals the corrupt and predatory setup of the whole project.
Reader in Barrie
Farmers in Ontario and Quebec are so adamant in their opposition to this project to block it from going ahead that they are refusing to grant access to their land by Alto for "research" purposes. This is prime agricultural land that has been cultivated and developed by tens of thousands of very hard working people, who do this work with more and more difficulty due to economic pressures and increasingly complete disregard from governments as to their needs to fulfill these essential duties to society.
Communities and towns have also raised their voices in opposition, refusing to accept the steamroller approach of the Carney government to push the project through.
It reveals the callousness of these governments and representatives of the oligarchs and their total disregard for the basic needs of the people of Canada and Quebec, let alone what it means to have a "nation-building" project that would engage all members of society in discussion and implementation.
Reader in Toronto
For Your Information
Ploys to Circumvent and Stifle
Opposition to
Alto High-Speed Rail Project
Far from addressing the concerns raised by people at the numerous meetings held about the Alto High Speed Rail (TGV) project since early January, as well as on Facebook groups, Alto's management is pursuing its planned implementation, clearly decided behind closed doors. The Carney government's Crown corporation is bypassing the collective voice of farmers by contacting them individually for several months to obtain permission to access their land, dangling the $1,500 "compensation" in front of them (which, incidentally, is taxable). Faced with huge amount of refusals, the Carney government's Crown corporation has just announced that it will use drones to conduct surveys between Ottawa and Montreal.
On its website, it states:
"Alto and its partner Cadence will conduct drone surveys in
several communities located between Ottawa and Montréal as part
of Alto's field studies program. These activities will take
place over several days between May 25 and the end of 2026,
weather permitting."
"Depending on the area, residents may observe drones in flight, as well as occasional field crews and the use of movable ground control targets. Surveys will take place within the corridor under study, including in the following municipalities:
- Québec: Boisbriand, Mirabel, Saint-André-d'Argenteuil,
Pointe-Fortune, and Rigaud
- Ontario: East Hawkesbury and North Glengarry Townships; The
Nation and Ottawa."
Along similar lines, last April, the private firm Strategy Counsel, on behalf of Alto, distributed envelopes at Toronto Pearson Airport containing a survey about Alto and offering those who responded a chance to win prizes, including a $25 Amazon gift card. The firm described itself as follows: "We are insight partners for decision-makers grappling with the toughest questions." Note that the website address given for the survey is no longer active.
On June 2, Federal MP Angelo Iacono, representing the Alfred-Pelland riding, located south of Terrebonne, is currently circulating a leaflet in support of the Alto project.
A constituent in the riding quickly shared her perspective on Facebook the same day: "I live in Pont-Viau in Laval. We just received this leaflet from our federal MP. Just to put things in context: this federal MP never mentioned the high-speed rail project to us before giving us this leaflet. Furthermore, I wrote to him earlier this year for information: he never replied. As far as I'm concerned, this is just a marketing ploy and political spin.
"Note that only positive
messages are being conveyed. Those who rely solely on this
leaflet will get a very limited view of the project. Obviously,
there is no mention of the costs (hundreds of billions of
dollars) or the upcoming expropriations. In Laval, I predict few
people will go to Trois-Rivières, Quebec City, or Ontario."
Another person responded, saying among other things: "We never see him! And now, it's funny, we're starting to see his face to hype up a project that makes no sense and should never see the light of day! We're already in a hole and on the verge of a recession, and they're going to spend $100 billion or more on a damn train that won't be profitable and expropriate people and land for a few thousand passengers a year? It's irresponsible of the Liberals! Can't we get our priorities straight? Health and education are floundering, we lack affordable housing, and we're going to put over $100 billion into this completely idiotic project?"
The voice of the people and communities directly affected and
concerned is replaced by polls and propaganda from MPs and
influencers in support of the Carney nation-wrecking agenda.
Everything is being done to eliminate discussion to divert
attention from the important issues at stake in a project which
will only benefit narrow private interests to whom the Carney
government has handed over the reins. It is anti-social and
anti-people.
(To access articles individually click on the black headline.)
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca