County opposes southern Alto route
Backs northern route, or one along Lake Ontario corridor
Northumberland County Council has officially opposed the proposed Alto High-Speed Rail line through Trent Hills.
On Wednesday, councillors passed a resolution supporting the northern route from Peterborough to Ottawa north of Highway 7 and also suggested Alto and the federal government should consider a path along the CN/CP rail lines near Lake Ontario, or the Highway 401 corridor.
Before their vote, Mike Metcalf, Deputy Mayor of Trent Hills, made a presentation outlining the potential damage a route across Trent Hills could do to Hastings, Campbellford, and prime agricultural land.
One of the biggest problems is a lack of information from Alto or the federal government about why the high-speed service is needed and how many passengers are expected to use it, Metcalf said.
The proposed southern route the loops from Peterborough towards Belleville then north of Kingston towards Ottawa suddenly appeared in January, he said.
“For 10 years there had been talk about a high-frequency rail line north of Highway 7,” he said, but no mention of a route through Trent Hills. “It was a shock.”
Trent Hills’ residents have been left with uncertainly and fears about their property values and impact on their farmland, Metcalf added. There are no apparent benefits to municipalities along the southern route.
He asked the county to formally opposed the route across our municipality.
Later, county council did just that with a motion that supports improvements in transportation alternatives that would serve the county but rejects a high-speed line that provides no stops or benefits in our area.
Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander expressed support for a high-speed line through his area, but only if the local municipalities receive enough funding to provide infrastructure such as overpasses and underpasses. Brighton has been struggling for years to deal with level crossings for VIA and freight trains.
The Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus and many other counties and municipalities have also rejected plans for the rail line through their areas.
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