Council fears rail plans
Municipality has "serious concerns" that impact of Alto line could be significant
Trent Hills council is moving faster than a speeding train to raise its concerns about the idea that the Alto High Speed Rail line could zoom through Hastings and Campbellford.
About 1 p.m. on Tuesday, when Hastings resident Tina Burke asked council about the rail line during a break in their monthly meeting, the councillors didn’t express any opinions and Deputy Mayor Mike Metcalf thanked her for bringing the issue to their attention.
By 7 p.m. on Thursday the council had issued a news release that said it had “serious concerns about potential impacts within the municipality.”
“Preliminary corridor mapping currently published by Alto indicates that potential route options would affect two of Trent Hills’ primary settlement areas, Hastings and Campbellford, which serve as core residential, commercial, and service centres for the municipality,” the release says.
On Jan. 19 I wrote about the potential for the rail line to pass through this area but the issue has become heated in recent weeks as Alto holds public consultation sessions and municipalities find out more about the plans.
There was one session in Peterborough today and there will be one in Stirling on March 25 at the Stirling and District Lions Club, 435 Front Street West. There will also be one in Madoc on March 5 at the Madoc Township Recreation Centre, 15651 Highway 62, Madoc. All the events will have drop-in hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Burke has created a Facebook discussion group on Alto’s plans for Trent Hills that has more than 260 members.
Alto is evaluating two possible options from Peterborough to Ottawa, its website says:
“Leaving Ottawa toward Peterborough, two scenarios are under study:
Northern option: more direct, crossing the Canadian Shield and counties such as Lanark, Frontenac, and Hastings. This reduces travel distance and community impacts but involves complex work in remote and sensitive areas.
Southern option: through eastern Ontario, in agricultural and resort areas with higher population density. This approach simplifies construction and operations.
There is an interactive map that lets you look at the corridors they are considering. Hastings and Campbellford definitely appear in that path.
The company says close to Peterborough “the alignment would favour existing corridors (highways, rail lines, power lines) to limit impacts on agricultural, forested, and recreational areas. The station could be located near major roads, with a connection to bus services.”
You can read more about the high-speed rail plans on its website.
The municipality’s release says Mayor Bob Crate, Deputy Mayor Michael Metcalf, and Chief Administrative Officer Karen Frigault will meet early next week with Alexis Doyle, Alto’s Senior Advisor, Local Government and Community Partnerships – Ontario, “to formally present council’s concerns and to clearly state that the municipality expects meaningful consultation, full transparency, and a thorough assessment of impacts where its primary settlement areas may be affected.”
Alto says the study corridor stretches nearly 1,000 kilometres between Québec City and Toronto and has a band about 10 kilometres wide.
“It is too early to present route options, as field studies and detailed engineering work have not yet been completed. The corridor will be refined based on feedback gathered during consultations with citizens, Indigenous communities, civil society, and different levels of government,“ it says.
Trent Hills council said it “considers the potential implications for Trent Hills residents, businesses, property owners, and the natural environment to be significant.”
“Hastings and Campbellford are two of the core communities within Trent Hills.” Crate says. “They are home to thousands of residents, established neighbourhoods, local businesses, and critical community services. Council has a responsibility to ensure that any proposal affecting these areas is subject to full transparency, rigorous impact analysis, and meaningful consultation.”
“Council is united in protecting the long-term interests of our community,” Metcalf said.
Council will oppose any route that would adversely affect Trent Hills, including any of its settlement areas, rural lands, and natural features, without a clear local benefit and a comprehensive review.
Council intends to consider a formal resolution at its March council meeting to formally affirm its position.
The news release said council has contacted Philip Lawrence, Member of Parliament for Northumberland–Peterborough South, to request assistance in getting a local meeting. The problem may be that Lawrence is a Conservative and the Alto project is one of Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plans.
You can read all Trent Hills News stories on my website here.
Prime Minister Mark Carney