The governing body for the UNESCO-designated Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve — a critical wildlife corridor connecting the Canadian Shield to the Adirondacks. The reserve spans the area directly affected by the proposed southern route. Any route through this area requires UNESCO notification under international heritage obligations.

WCS Canada leads the national coordination of Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) identification across Canada. In January 2025, WCS Canada announced the designation of Thousand Islands as a KBA — the third within the Frontenac Arch Biosphere, joining Charleston Lake and Frontenac Forests, with Napanee Limestone Plain pending as a fourth. Parks Canada has described the area as a “continentally significant wildlife movement corridor.”

The UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme’s profile of the Frontenac Arch, detailing its international designation, ecological significance, and the obligations that designation places on governments. Useful for making the case that international review is required before route selection.

Long-term ecological research station located within the Frontenac Arch. QUBS researchers have decades of biodiversity data on the region and represent a key independent scientific voice on environmental impacts. Their research directly underpins the case for the biosphere’s international significance.

Land trust protecting natural areas along the Rideau Waterway corridor through conservation easements and land acquisition. Any southern route crossing the Rideau watershed intersects with lands RWLT works to protect.

The NCC has made the Frontenac Arch one of its featured conservation priorities in Ontario. NCC holds conservation agreements and protected properties within the corridor area.

Regional land trust protecting natural and agricultural lands in the KFLA area through stewardship and conservation agreements. Works directly within the proposed corridor region and holds knowledge of specific natural heritage features at risk.

Federal government page on the Building Canada Act framework, which designates certain infrastructure projects — including high-speed rail — as projects of national interest. Understanding this designation is critical: it is the source of ALTO’s authority to override local planning and acquire land.

Plain-language parliamentary tracking of Bill C-15, including the High Speed Rail Network Act provisions that amend the Federal Expropriation Act. These amendments give ALTO powers to acquire land with limited rights of appeal. Every landowner in the corridor should understand this bill.

Senate committee report examining Bill C-15 and its implications for infrastructure, communities, and landowners. Useful for citing in letters to ministers and MPs as evidence of concerns raised through formal parliamentary channels.

Independent academic research on high-speed rail in Canada, covering ridership projections, economic impacts, and policy considerations. An independent, peer-reviewed counterweight to the government’s own cost-benefit framing of the ALTO project.