Four years ago, Sue Federico and her spouse bought a 53-acre farm property near Elgin, Ont., and the Frontenac Arch Biosphere. Feeling a strong sense of stewardship, they’ve carefully considered what to build there. “We didn’t want to rush into a huge commitment and destroy the environment, knowing how extremely sensitive that particular zone is.”
So Federico was alarmed to discover that Alto, Ottawa’s proposed high-speed rail line, may bisect the area. “We are all facing expropriation,” she says. The federal government’s 2026 budget legislation includes provisions to assemble land for the 1,000-km line, set to run from Quebec City to Toronto via Montreal, Ottawa, and Peterborough.
In late February, transportation minister Steven MacKinnon said the route will be finalized this year and expropriation will begin “almost immediately.” MacKinnon urged residents to register concerns—what happens, for example, if the corridor forces lengthy detours for people trying to reach destinations on the other side of the tracks.
Cottage Q&A: How do trains cause wildfires?
Lesley Lavender, the CEO of the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations, has already fielded lots of questions about noise and the impact on roads and waterways. Cottagers and waterfront owners, she says, “are asking for clear information, meaningful consultation, and real attention to environmental impacts.”
The first of Alto’s two scheduled consultation periods will wrap up in late April. According to spokesperson Benoit Bourdeau, 9,000 people have attended open houses in Quebec and Ontario and more than 10,000 have left comments on the website. During those sessions, Alto sought feedback on a wide corridor under consideration, up to 10 km across, though the eventual rail corridor will be 60 metres wide. Later this fall, there will be a second set of consultations, on the refined Ottawa to Montreal route, which is to be built first.
Where possible, the route will follow existing corridors, avoiding shorelines and environmentally sensitive lands, says Bourdeau. Ultimately, though, trains travelling up to 300 km/hr require as straight a line as possible.
While MacKinnon’s comments suggest the government is in a hurry, there’s no specific timeline for land assembly, says Bourdeau. “If we identify that your land is necessary,” he adds, “we will sit down with you early in the process so we can negotiate a fair agreement.”
The outreach hasn’t assuaged Federico’s concerns. “Nobody is denying that we have an infrastructure issue in terms of transportation,” she says.
“What people are struggling with is, why is this running through such pristine and irreplaceable wilderness?”
This story has been updated to reflect an extension to the first consultation period, announced by Alto on March 11.
Related Story Canadian government terminates Remote Area Border Crossing program
Related Story The Ontario government plans to remove tolls on a portion of Highway 407
Related Story Cottage Q&A: My cottage is far from my home. Could I trade with someone who has a closer property?