Almost 1,000 people showed up to an open house in Madoc on Thursday to discuss the controversial high-speed rail line proposed to cut through the region, many of them there to voice their displeasure with the project.
Alto, the Crown corporation behind the rail line, hosted the open house at the Madoc Recreation Centre and had several representatives on hand to talk about the proposed rail line that would connect Quebec City and Toronto with trains travelling up to 300 kilometres per hour.
There has already been much opposition to Alto’s plan which is currently considering two options through this area, a northern route following Highway 7 and a southern corridor that would pass closer to Kingston, Belleville, Quinte West and Northumberland before veering north to Peterborough,
Many attendees at Thursday’s open house echoed that oppostion.
Benoit Bourdeau, Alto’s Manager of Media Relations, says they were there to clear up misinformation and hear the concerns and opinions of residents.
“There’s no one better placed or suited to know the region better than the people who live in that region,” says Bourdeau. “So we’re coming to collect the feedback. We’ll use that feedback in helping us to decide the alignment that we’ll end up choosing.”
He says their goal is not necessarily to change minds but to listen to opinions and have people leave the event more informed.
Residents were able to ask questions to Alto representatives but many indicated they didn’t receive any clear answers to concerns about the cost, how their land might be affected and what the rail line might mean for the environment and wildlife in the region.
Bourdeau says current consultations for both routes are based on a 10-kilometre-wide corridor but that will be reduced to a 60-metre-wide footprint.
“As much as possible, we’ll follow existing corridors to mitigate the impacts as much as possible. The caveat is that a high speed rail network has to have tracks that are as straight as possible. So we couldn’t, for instance, just follow the 401 because it swerves, and it’s not straight everywhere. But whenever possible, we will follow highways, hydroelectric corridors, rail existing railways.”
He says in any instance where land might be appropriated, they will sit down with landowners and provide experts to help in the negotiation process.
Other concerns voiced included the expense of the project and that, while it will create jobs, they won’t be local.
Many people are also upset that the rail line will cut through the region but won’t actually include any stops leaving no local benefits.
There are currently seven proposed stops along the entire Quebec-to-Toronto route with the closest being Ottawa and Peterborough.
Boudreau admits there are currently no plans to add a stop along the local corridor but that it is the government’s prerogative to change the scope along the way.
Alto has said a high-speed rail network will drive economic growth by shortening travel times, enhancing connectivity between people and communities, creating job opportunities and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
He says they expect to have a final alignment for the Ottawa-to-Montreal route by the end of the year with construction to start around 2029.
Alignment plans for Quebec to Montreal and Ottawa to Toronto are expected sometime in 2027.
The rail line is expected to cost between $60 billion and $90 billion and be completed in 2040.
In addition to in-person open houses, Alto has hosted virtual open houses and invited feedback through an online platform that has, so far, received more than 10,000 comments.
Online commenting is open until March 29.
Another in-person open house is scheduled for March 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Stirling and District Lions Club.
The Tyendinaga Township Landowners Coalition is holding its own public meeting about the proposed rail line and concerns it has on Sunday, March 8 at noon at St. Charles Borromeo Parish Hall.
