Seeking an Alto supporter
Opponents organize and sign petitions but there’s no one on the pro side
The most surprising thing about the Alto High-Speed Rail plan isn’t its route, or its cost, or its speed -- it’s the silence.
Oh, I know there is a lot of noise about it in the lineups at Tim’s or Sharpe’s, or over a post-game beverage at the curling club. And heaven knows you can’t go near Facebook without hearing someone who fears their farm will be expropriated or their house will be destroyed.
And on Tuesday, Trent Hills council will discuss and likely support a motion by Deputy Mayor Mike Metcalfe that “formally opposes the currently identified Alto high-speed rail study corridor routes that would pass through the municipality.”
The motion asks Ottawa to remove Trent Hills from the study corridor.
If it is backed, we’ll join a growing list of municipalities in southeastern Ontario who don’t want the train line.
But I’ve kept looking and listening without success for any politicians who support this project.
All I have found are a couple of word-salad quotes clearly written by communications staffers that are attributed to politicians who never said them. (I can say this confidently as someone who has written my fair share of such quotes and read far more than my share.)
In December, when the federal government announced the current phase of the plan, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon was quoted as saying: “This announcement marks an important step forward in delivering faster, cleaner, and more connected transportation for Canadians. By working closely with Alto and our partners across governments and communities, we are laying the groundwork for a high-speed rail network that will put Canada firmly on the global map for modern rail innovation—strengthening the economy, creating good jobs, and connecting people across this vital corridor.”
On his Facebook page, Prime Minister Mark Carney said: “We’re going to build a high-speed rail network that will connect millions of Canadians, build our economy, and create thousands of high-paying careers.”
That’s the closest I can find to any comments about Alto from the guy who wants to get it built.
Back in February 2025 then prime minister Justin Trudeau said that his government planned to build the high-speed rail line. Well, it wouldn’t really be his government since he’d already announced that he was stepping down and only had a month left in the job.
One supporter I’ve found is the C.D. Howe Institute. In a report published last month, the pro-business institute concluded that a high-speed rail line would be an economic benefit as the population it would serve is expected to grow by up to 30 per cent over the next 20 years.
“In the context of Canada’s push to drive investment and nation-building, Alto high-speed rail represents a sweet spot across much-needed transport modernization, and an opportunity for broader economic and social transformation,” write Tasnim Fariha and David Jones of the institute.
But they do note in passing that acquiring the land could be costly and pose problems for residents who are displaced.
Actually, they acknowledge that the report only looks at the economic benefits and say clearly that it does not consider the costs or the passenger traffic forecasts and potential ridership.
But could the project go ahead anyway?
The short answer is yes. It’s quite possible that Carney will designate this as a nation building project that the major projects office will oversee.
We only have to look toward Queen’s Park to see how Premier Doug Ford, backed by a majority government, has for years been pushing a major highway development across the western edge of the Greater Toronto Area, despite widespread opposition from residents in Peel and Halton regions. Ford’s Highway 413 will have a corridor three times the width of the proposed rail line. But it will happen if Ford keeps getting majorities.
It’s easy to see Carney following that same path over the next decade if he wins a majority, as polls currently suggest is likely.
The last public open house where you can see what Alto is currently saying about the plan and provide in-person comments is being held Wednesday in Stirling from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Stirling and District Lions Club at the fairgrounds.
Alto has extended the period for online comments until April 24.
Today, Alto announced that it is starting environmental studies along the Montreal to Ottawa section, which will be built first.
You can read all Trent Hills News stories on my website here.
I find it ironic that 150 or so years ago, communities were clamouring for rail lines, and now we have this response. Sure, there won't be an Alto stop in Trent Hills on day one, but as traffic improves, there's a much higher chance of getting one in the future than there is if the line runs through North Nowhere, or Brighton. Then future generations will be cursing our shortsightedness (not that younger generations aren't currently cursing us for the same narrow thinking.)
Hey, maybe we can convince the alto folks to add a few lanes for traffic when they build the inevitable bridge over the Trent River. Then we might finally get one without coughing up 50 million (no, wait, that was last week, 70 million... no, wait...)
Art: If you're looking for a proponent of high-speed rail, check out Ted Hsu the MPP for Kingston. He wants it to follow the 401 corridor and sees it as a potential boon to that area. I realize you're really looking for local supporters but this whole issue harkens back to a history that, as is said, at least rhymes if it does not in fact repeat itself.
R.B. Rogers the superintendent in charge of building the Trent Canal, as it was known back then, was forced by political forces to survey not only the route out of Rice Lake at Hastings but also an alternate route out the west end near Bewdley.
Perhaps back then, too many local vocal NIMBY naysayers might have kyboshed a canal through Campbellford because of their myopic views of all the expropriations and flooding a canal entailed. Given that, the waterway would have gone down the Ganaraska Valley to Port Hope. There would be no Trent-Severn Waterway today anywhere in Trent Hills, nor elsewhere for that matter, and we'd all have missed out on its many local benefits.
Now, won't it be ironic if high-speed rail is finally routed along the 401 corridor and this time Port Hope perseveres and WE miss out!
Brian Wawrykow
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