Impacts on Agriculture and Farmers from the ALTO High-Speed Rail Southern Corridor
Eastern Ontario — farm severance, land loss, and the lessons of HS2
On March 3, 2026, the Beef Farmers of Ontario announced formal opposition to the ALTO project, following a resolution passed by members at their Annual General Meeting on February 19. BFO On February 27, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and l’Union des producteurs agricoles issued a joint call for the immediate suspension of the ALTO project. On February 25, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture passed a resolution at its Annual General Meeting urging the Government of Canada to halt the project. OFA/UPA Joint Statement
The ALTO southern corridor would bisect Eastern Ontario’s agricultural heartland with a continuously fenced, impassable rail line. At 300 km/h, no level crossings are possible. OFA Farms will be permanently severed. The UK’s HS2 project affected 213 farm holdings NFU UK — and farming families reported “generational devastation.” NFU HS2
Canada’s farming organizations call for project suspension
In a coordinated national response, Canada’s major agricultural organizations have moved from concern to formal opposition — calling for the ALTO high-speed rail project to be suspended until meaningful assessment and consultation with affected farming communities has taken place.
Ontario’s farmland is a strategic provincial and national asset, and the highest and best use of our arable land is for agriculture — and let’s not forget that agriculture and agri-food is a cornerstone of Ontario’s economic prosperity.
Projects deemed to be of ‘national interest’ must not compromise the vitality of rural communities, the long-term viability of agricultural businesses and farmland, maple and forestry potential, or the food security of the population, which should be the true priority. Mirabel Airport is an example that should not be repeated.
The OFA and UPA joint statement demands that provincial and federal governments and Alto:
Stay out of prime agricultural areas
The proposed alignment is currently planned through some of the most productive farmland in Ontario and Quebec.
Avoid breaking farms into smaller pieces
Keep fields and farm operations whole.
Protect farm drainage systems
Tile drainage is essential for crop production across the corridor.
Address construction impacts and ongoing costs
Including fencing and the building, upgrading, and long-term maintenance of safe farm crossings for equipment and livestock.
Ensure independent, thorough, and publicly available agricultural impact assessments
Before route selection, not after.
CFA Resolution — February 25, 2026
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s Annual General Meeting passed a resolution urging the Government of Canada to immediately halt the proposed project to allow for a thorough economic, social, and environmental impact assessment. The resolution further states that if the project proceeds, it must ensure full access to farmland, maple groves, and woodlands with properly sized agricultural crossings (minimum 10 metres) and fair, proportional compensation recognizing that HSR’s permanent impact is more significant than highways or transmission lines. OFA/UPA Joint Statement
BFO Resolution — February 19, 2026
Members of the Beef Farmers of Ontario voted strongly in favour of a resolution at their Annual General Meeting on February 19 calling on BFO to formally oppose the proposed project. On March 3, BFO announced it stands united with the OFA and UPA in calling on the Government of Canada and the federal Minister of Transport to immediately halt the ALTO project. BFO warns the proposed route would cut through key beef-producing counties across central and eastern Ontario, expropriating and dividing farms with a fenced rail corridor, closing local roads, disrupting wildlife movement, and delivering no clear social or economic benefit to the affected rural communities. BFO
Scale of representation
The OFA represents 38,000 farm families across Ontario. The UPA represents 42,000 agricultural producers and 163,000 forest landowners across Quebec. Together with the CFA and BFO, these organizations represent the vast majority of affected agricultural producers in both provinces. OFA/UPA BFO
Agricultural impact at a glance
Six ways the corridor damages agricultural operations
⛔ Impassable barrier
3-metre security fencing along entire corridor. No level crossings at 300 km/h. OFA Farms split in two with equipment and livestock unable to cross. CBC
✂ Farm severance
Mixed dairy/livestock farms depend on daily cross-farm movement. A severed 200-acre operation may lose the critical mass needed for viability. AGCanada The OFA and UPA have demanded that farm operations be kept whole. OFA/UPA
🚧 Road destruction
Thousands of daily construction truck trips on roads designed for farm equipment. Spring weight restrictions compress hauling into fewer months.
💧 Drainage disruption
200 km linear excavation intercepts tile drain and watershed systems across hundreds of farms. Waterlogging and crop loss for years. OFA The OFA/UPA joint statement specifically calls for protection of farm drainage systems essential for crop production. OFA/UPA
📉 Blight & uncertainty
From announcement to construction could be 10+ years. Property values fall, credit tightens, farm investment freezes immediately. NFU UK, HS2 Phase 2 evidence
🌾 Land loss
1,000–1,500+ acres of active farmland permanently removed — in a region that lost 15.4% of Frontenac’s cropland between 2011 and 2021. StatCan Census 2021
The UK’s HS2 project provides direct evidence of what happens when HSR is built through farmland
The UK’s National Farmers’ Union documented the impact of HS2 Phase 1 (London–West Midlands) on agricultural businesses over a decade of planning, construction, and compensation disputes. NFU Archive
213 agricultural holdings directly affected along the London–West Midlands route. NFU UK
Access promises broken: underpasses delayed until after construction — up to 7 years without farm access. NFU HS2 Minister Letter
Compensation chronically delayed; crop loss payments outstanding years after construction. NFU Evidence Session
Farmers reported to Parliament as “feeling suicidal” from prolonged uncertainty and broken commitments. NFU Select Committee
A chronic lack of respect for farm businesses, which are often viewed as just being in the way.
UPA President invokes Mirabel precedent
In the OFA/UPA joint statement, UPA President General Martin Caron specifically cited Mirabel Airport as an example that should not be repeated — a direct reference to the expropriation of over 97,000 acres of prime Quebec farmland in 1969 for an airport that was eventually demolished, with much of the land never returned to agriculture. OFA/UPA
What must be in place before route selection
Agricultural Impact Assessment
Map every affected farm before route selection. The OFA/UPA joint statement demands assessments that are independent, thorough, and publicly available. OFA/UPA
Binding Farm Access Guarantee
Grade-separated crossings every 2 km, built before construction severs farms. The CFA resolution requires properly sized agricultural crossings (minimum 10 metres). CFA
Enhanced Compensation
Going-concern value, not just land price; capital gains tax relief. The CFA resolution demands fair, proportional compensation recognizing HSR’s permanent impact is more significant than highways or transmission lines. CFA
Anti-Blight Protections
Guaranteed purchase at pre-announcement value; interim income payments. NFU HS2 Phase 2 response
Construction Protections
Enforce spring weight limits; independent agricultural liaison with stop-work authority. The OFA/UPA demand that farmers’ concerns about construction impacts and ongoing costs be addressed — including fencing and safe crossing maintenance. OFA/UPA
Independent Agricultural Commissioner
Binding dispute resolution without requiring farmer litigation. NFU demanded this of HS2
Mitigation Land Limits
Cap environmental offset land take from productive farmland. Full access must be maintained to farmland, maple groves, and woodlands. CFA
High-Performance Rail Study
Assess 200 km/h alternative that allows level crossings and avoids severance. AGCanada