Alto HSR Citizen Research Initiative
Stakeholder Statements on Alto High-Speed Rail
Statements, resolutions, and open letters from agricultural, ecological, recreational, transportation, and civil-society organizations on the Alto HSR project and the powers granted under Bill C-15.
As the April 24, 2026 consultation deadline approaches, a growing number of major organizations have published formal positions on Alto HSR and the legislative framework enabling it. This page gathers primary-source links for quick reference.
Agriculture & Land Use
Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA)
High-Speed Rail — Issues Page
OFA’s continuously updated policy hub on Alto HSR, calling for a suspension of the project and an independent agricultural impact assessment.
OFA & Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA)
Farmers Call for Responsible, Agriculture-First Planning in Alto High-Speed Rail Development
Joint press release (Feb. 27, 2026) calling for an immediate suspension of Alto. Sets out demands on prime agricultural land avoidance, farm severance, drainage, crossing maintenance, and proportional compensation. Also references the Canadian Federation of Agriculture AGM resolution passed Feb. 25 and Beef Farmers of Ontario’s endorsement.
Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA)
AGM Resolution — Halt Alto for Independent Assessment
Resolution passed at the CFA Annual General Meeting on Feb. 25, 2026, urging the Government of Canada to immediately halt Alto to allow for a thorough economic, social, and environmental impact assessment and meaningful consultation with affected communities.
Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO)
Beef Farmers Call for Responsible, Agriculture-First Planning in Alto High-Speed Rail Development
BFO endorsed the OFA/UPA position and added a specific demand to include all actively farmed lands — pasture, hay ground, and grazing lands — in protections, not only lands classified as prime agricultural. Passed as a resolution at BFO’s 64th AGM, Feb. 18–19, 2026.
National Farmers Union – Ontario (NFU-O)
NFU-O Policy Position on the Alto High-Speed Rail Project
NFU-O states it cannot support the project in its current form without clear, enforceable protections for farmland, farmers, farm businesses, water systems, and affected Indigenous and rural communities, and calls for a pause on further planning.
Ontario Farmland Trust
High-Speed Rail’s Public Consultation: Have Your Say and Help Ensure Farmland is Protected
Ontario Farmland Trust highlights serious implications for farmland from the Alto HSR project — including potential expropriation, fragmentation of farm parcels, disruption of local ecosystems, and broader impacts on regional food production.
Hunting & Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH)
OFAH Position on the Proposed Alto High-Speed Rail Project
Ontario’s largest non-profit fish and wildlife conservation organization — representing 100,000 members and 675 member clubs — states it “cannot support the proposed high-speed rail project.” Key finding: a 1,000 km continuous fenced corridor “will function as a complete ecological barrier… on a scale that cannot be addressed through conventional mitigation methods.”
Trails & Recreation
Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC)
Impact of the Proposed ALTO High-Speed Rail Network on Ontario Prescribed Snowmobile Trails
The OFSC formally opposes the ALTO project as currently proposed. Signed by CEO Ryan J. Eickmeier, the statement documents that both proposed routes would negatively impact up to 2,200 km of snowmobile trails across 19 volunteer clubs in four OFSC Districts. Economic impact figures: $3–6 billion annually in provincial economic activity; $1.48 billion in direct rider expenditure; 9,307 full-time jobs; $538 million in tax revenue. The OFSC calls for dozens of grade-separated over/underpasses engineered for two-way snowmobile traffic and grooming equipment, and confirms it cannot financially cover those costs. Also raises concern that expropriation of legacy rail lines and utility corridors — many of which carry OFSC Prescribed Trails — would require costly and lengthy trail re-routes and cause immediate loss to the network.
Ontario Federation of All-Terrain Vehicle Clubs (OFATV)
Open Letter: Formal Opposition to the ALTO High-Speed Rail Project
Signed by President Shawn Ellenberger, OFATV formally opposes the proposed ALTO high-speed rail project on behalf of its member clubs, volunteers, and the broader off-road community. The letter documents that the proposed corridor poses a direct threat to thousands of kilometres of managed, legally authorized ATV trails developed over decades through volunteer effort and landowner partnerships. Key concerns: fragmentation of trail connectivity that cannot be remedied once severed; loss of trail-based tourism revenue and economic activity in rural communities; and the risk of undoing years of progress in sustainable trail management. OFATV calls on proponents and government to recognize ATV trails as critical rural infrastructure, engage in meaningful consultation, commit to preserving trail continuity through crossings or rerouting, and ensure no existing trail is lost without an equal or improved replacement.
Trans Canada Trail
Trans Canada Trail Statement on Alto High Speed Rail Project
Trans Canada Trail confirms it is actively participating in Alto consultations and closely monitoring both corridor options, given that portions of the 28,000 km national trail network cross the study area.
Rideau Trail Association
ALTO High Speed Rail Project — Board Statement
The Rideau Trail Association Board has confirmed that letters will be sent to both Hike Ontario and the Ontario Trails Council, citing potential direct impacts on trails and the many likely negative environmental impacts of the project.
Friends of the Cataraqui Trail
Motion of the Friends of the Cataraqui Trail — Opposing the Southern Alto Route
Formal motion passed unanimously at the Board meeting of March 27, 2026. The motion formally opposes the southern route proposed by ALTO, and recommends that the Government of Canada direct ALTO to consider an alternative, higher-speed route. The Cataraqui Trail is a 104-kilometre multi-use recreational trail — an integral component of the Trans Canada Trail.
Ecology & Freshwater Science
Wildlife Preservation Canada
Concerns about Alto High-Speed Rail
Expresses deep concern about potential negative impacts on wildlife species and habitat in the corridor, with particular focus on the Napanee Limestone Plain — a globally rare alvar grassland and one of only two remaining breeding sites for the critically endangered eastern loggerhead shrike.
Think Turtle Conservation Initiative
The Alto High Speed Rail Line: Considering The Environmental Footprint
Raises serious concerns about the environmental cost of a 1,000 km rail corridor, citing impacts on turtle habitat, wetlands, and the broader rural Ontario landscape.
Dr. Steven Cooke & Colleagues, Carleton University
Open Letter: Environmental Perspective on the Alto High-Speed Rail Project
Open letter from Dr. Cooke — Canada Research Professor in Fish Ecology & Conservation Physiology at Carleton University — and ecology colleagues, raising concerns about freshwater biodiversity, fish habitat, and aquatic ecosystem risks posed by the Alto corridor.
Land Conservancy for Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (LC-KFLA)
Concerns of the LC-KFLA on the Proposed Alto Routes and High Speed Train Impacts
LC-KFLA raises serious concerns about the impact of both proposed routes on its conserved properties, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO), the Frontenac Forests Key Biodiversity Area, and the Adirondacks to Algonquin (A2A) wildlife corridor — the last major north-south wildlife corridor in eastern North America. Notes that 17 of the 25 properties of the Rideau Waterway Land Trust lie within the proposed southern route. Argues that the HSR’s 60-metre fenced corridor would function as an ecological wall, fragmenting habitat and disrupting wildlife movement on a landscape scale. Supports alternatives using existing transportation corridors, including the 401 and existing railway rights-of-way, which would avoid creating new barriers.
Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network (FABN)
Alto High-Speed Rail Project — Public Consultation Brief
The Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network — the not-for-profit organization that administers the region’s UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve designation — submitted a formal consultation brief on April 13, 2026. The submission documents 54 species at risk within the proposed corridors and concludes that both the northern and southern routes cross the UNESCO-designated Frontenac Arch Biosphere Region in ways incompatible with its ecological integrity. The most authoritative biological inventory of at-risk species in the corridor to date.
Rideau Waterway Land Trust (RWLT)
Rail, Wildlife, and the Frontenac Arch: Finding the Right Path
RWLT notes that 17 of its 25 nature reserves lie within the proposed southern corridor. Argues that the Frontenac Arch cannot be fragmented without irreversible loss.
Queen’s University Biological Station (QUBS)
QUBS Statement on the Proposed Alto Southern Route
QUBS is deeply concerned about the potential environmental impacts of the southern Alto route on the Frontenac Arch Biosphere. The southern route would cut directly through QUBS lands and threaten long-term research and ecological monitoring programs.
Kingston Field Naturalists (KFN)
KFN Board Resolution Opposing ALTO HSR
The KFN Conservation Committee brought forward a motion that the Board adopted: KFN opposes the ALTO high-speed rail project in all its proposed forms, citing environmental concerns.
Algonquin to Adirondacks (A2A) Collaborative — Frontenac Safe Passage Campaign
Comments on Alto High Speed Rail Project; Background Primer on Ecological Impacts; Giving Wildlife a Voice
The A2A Collaborative has produced three documents on Alto HSR. Their formal submission (March 25, 2026) identifies both proposed routes as overlapping directly with A2A’s mapped ecological corridors and warns that without strong safeguards the project would create a near-impenetrable linear barrier across a critical continental land bridge. Specific mitigation requirements set out: viaducts through sensitive areas, crossing structures at specified densities, and 2:1 habitat compensation.
Kawartha Land Trust (KLT)
ALTO High-Speed Rail Project — Statement on Ecological Impacts in the Kawarthas
KLT has eight protected properties within ALTO’s study corridor. Staff have attended ALTO sessions and submitted detailed information on protected lands, critical habitats, and species at risk. The organization expresses deep concerns about ecological impacts: habitat connectivity for wildlife migration, vital wetlands that support local water quality, species-at-risk habitats, active agricultural lands and woodlots, and community nature spaces and hiking trails. Calls on ALTO project leaders to participate in meaningful and transparent engagement with affected communities. KLT has conserved over 8,800 acres of natural and working lands over 25 years, supporting habitat connectivity and over 50 km of community trails.
Turtles Kingston
Statement on the ALTO High-Speed Rail Project
Local not-for-profit conservation organization dedicated to protecting turtles in the Kingston area. Expresses concerns about the ALTO HSR proposal, including loss of biodiversity, impacts to protected areas, disruption of wetlands, and fragmentation of ecological corridors critical to turtle populations and other wildlife.
Community & Watershed Organizations
Lennox & Addington Stewardship Council
Formal Opposition to the ALTO High-Speed Rail Project
Formally opposes the ALTO high-speed rail project in both its proposed routes. Highlights in particular the extreme disruption in the Napanee Plain — a federally designated Key Biodiversity Area — and in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere.
Sydenham Lake Association
Letter to Alto re: Proposed Southern Corridor
Formally opposes the proposed southern route, which would bisect the UNESCO Frontenac Arch Biosphere and affect Sydenham Lake — the reservoir for the municipal water supply and a Source Water Protection Area.
Friends of the Salmon River
Friends of Salmon River and the ALTO High Speed Rail Proposal
Raises concern about both proposed route options’ impacts on the Salmon River watershed. Supports improved rail service but calls for rigorous environmental assessment, more route detail, and longer consultation periods.
Friends of Napanee River
Submission to the Alto High Speed Rail Project Opposing Both the Northern and Southern Options
Friends of Napanee River opposes both proposed Alto corridor options. The submission finds that both routes will adversely affect the watershed, and concludes that both proposed routes should be stayed until an alternative strategy using the existing rail corridor south of Highway 401 has been fully assessed.
Watersheds Canada
Open Statement to the Senators of Canada: Safeguarding Freshwater and Natural Heritage in the Context of the Alto High-Speed Rail Proposal
Watersheds Canada urges careful scrutiny of the Alto corridor’s impacts on lakes, rivers, wetlands, and shorelines, and calls on the Senate to require rigorous watershed-scale environmental assessments before route decisions are made.
South Frontenac Businesses — Open Letter
Opposition from South Frontenac Business Owners to Alto’s Proposed High-Speed Rail Southern Corridor
Open letter dated April 15, 2026, signed by 70+ business owners across agriculture, trades, retail, tourism, hospitality and accommodation sectors in South Frontenac. Addressed to Prime Minister Carney, Minister of Transport MacKinnon, Premier Ford, and Alto CEO Martin Imbleau. The letter calls on the federal government to (i) immediately halt advancement of the southern corridor through South Frontenac; (ii) release a detailed business case and full-lifecycle social, economic and environmental impact assessment; (iii) conduct meaningful consultation that includes local businesses and municipalities as equal stakeholders; and (iv) re-evaluate alternative routes that do not impose disproportionate harm on rural and tourism-based economies. Key statement: “the businesses signing this letter are not obstacles to progress — we are job creators, investors, and contributors to Canada’s economic resilience. We will not accept a process that excludes us while placing our livelihoods at risk.”
Chaffey’s Lock and Area Heritage Society (CLAHS)
Chaffey’s Lock and Area Heritage Society Position on Alto
CLAHS — formed in 1980 to operate the Lockmaster’s House Museum and, more recently, the Community Hall, and to preserve the cultural and natural heritage of the village and surrounding area — has issued a formal position on ALTO (drafted by Frank Phelan). The statement cites the Rideau Canal’s designation as a National Historic Site (1925), as a Canadian Heritage River (2000), and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2007) — Ontario’s first. Notes that Canada has only 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, of which just 10 are based on cultural features. Concludes: “A high-speed rail line through this hamlet (or nearby) is inappropriate and would be absolutely devastating for the locality.”
Opinicon Property Owners Community
Concerns Regarding the ALTO HSR Proposal
Shelagh Hurley, President of the Opinicon Property Owners Community, has expressed concerns about the ALTO HSR proposal on behalf of lake stewards and property owners on Opinicon Lake. Hurley: “I can’t find a single person who thinks this is a good idea in any way.”
Greater Bobs and Crow Lakes Association
Concerns Regarding the ALTO HSR Proposal
Lynn Watson, Acting Chair of the Greater Bobs and Crow Lakes Association, has expressed concerns about the ALTO HSR proposal on behalf of lake stewards and property owners on Bobs Lake and Crow Lake.
Kashwakamak Lake Association
Concerns Regarding the ALTO HSR Proposal
Sue MacGregor of the Kashwakamak Lake Association has expressed concerns about the ALTO HSR proposal on behalf of lake stewards and property owners on Kashwakamak Lake.
Silver Lake and Area Environment Protection Association
Concerns Regarding the ALTO HSR Proposal
Greg Ellis, co-chair of the Silver Lake and Area Environment Protection Association, has expressed concerns about the ALTO HSR proposal on behalf of lake stewards and community members in the Silver Lake area.
Conservation Authorities
Lower Trent Conservation (LTC)
LTC’s Board Raises Concerns Over Proposed ALTO High-Speed Rail Route
The LTC Board of Directors has passed a resolution formally opposing the proposed southern route, citing potential negative impacts to agricultural lands, environmentally sensitive lands, roads, and emergency services.
Quinte Conservation
The Quinte Conservation Board of Directors Provides Comment on the Alto High-Speed Rail Project
In a unanimous vote of all 20 Board members, Quinte Conservation does not support either the northern or southern Alto corridor. Notes the northern route may impact more than 40 Quinte Conservation properties and the southern route more than 25.
Transportation Advocacy
Corridor Train Alliance (CTA)
Official Statement — March 7, 2026
The Corridor Train Alliance considers the project misguided in its current form. Their position: if a project is approved, it must include a stop in Kingston and must run along the 401 corridor for least impact. CTA argues that 300 km/h should not be the leading design criterion.
Fire & Emergency Services
Tyendinaga Township Volunteer Fire Fighters Association
Notice of Motion — Opposing the Alto High-Speed Rail Project (Southern Route)
The membership of the Tyendinaga Township Volunteer Fire Fighters Association formally records its opposition to the current proposal for the Alto High-Speed Rail project. The preamble notes that the majority of fire departments along the proposed southern corridor are volunteer services that depend on unimpeded local road networks: responders must travel from home or work to the fire hall before responding to calls, and rural departments rely on water tankers shuttled from ponds and streams. The proposed rail corridor would significantly disrupt both response times and water shuttle operations, increasing property loss and life safety risk. The Association urges the federal government to stop the current planning process and instead explore alternative existing corridors — including the existing VIA Rail corridor — that cause less interference with emergency services.
Full Text — Notice of Motion · April 2, 2026
Preamble: The majority of fire departments located within the proposed southern Alto HSR corridor are volunteer services. When a call for emergency services is received, these departments rely on responders to leave their homes or places of work, travel to the local fire hall to staff and then respond to the call location with fire department apparatus. The interruption to the local municipal road networks created by the proposed rail corridor has significant potential to increase both the response time to the hall for responders and the response time to the scene with fire apparatus. Further, rural fire departments rely on water tankers to transport water from water sources such as ponds and streams to the location of the call. A similar compromise to water shuttle operations is anticipated. Longer response times will lead to greater loss of property and increase life safety risks. As an association dedicated to community service, we find this prospect unacceptable.
- Whereas the Federal government has proposed the Alto High-Speed Rail (HSR) project linking Toronto and Quebec City;
- Whereas the Council for the Township of Tyendinaga formally oppose the Southern Route option for the Alto HSR project as it relates to lands within or affecting the Township;
- Whereas the proposed routes through Eastern Ontario threaten to cause significant disruption to local infrastructure and emergency service routes;
- Whereas the proposed project is an electric rail line, introducing additional considerations related to safety that have not yet been clearly addressed;
- Whereas access for emergency services for incidents occurring along or within the rail corridor have not been clearly addressed;
- Whereas the project as proposed will have significant impact on the Mutual Aid agreement and response;
- Whereas increased insurance premiums will result due to restricted emergency access.
Now Therefore Be It Resolved That the membership of the Tyendinaga Township Volunteer Fire Fighters Association formally records its opposition to the current proposal for the Alto High-Speed Rail project;
And Be It Further Resolved That the Tyendinaga Township Volunteer Fire Fighter Association urges the federal government to stop the current planning process and instead explore alternative, existing corridors that cause less interference with emergency services, such as the existing VIA Rail corridor;
And Be It Further Resolved That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Prime Minister of Canada, the Honourable Mark Carney; the Leader of the Official Opposition, the Honourable Pierre Poilievre; Federal Minister of Transport, the Honourable Steven MacKinnon; the Shadow Minister for Transportation, Dan Albas; the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience, the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski; the Shadow Minister for Emergency Preparedness and Community Resilience, Dane Lloyd; MP Shelby Kramp-Neuman; MPP Ric Breese; Premier of Ontario, the Honourable Doug Ford; Provincial Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response, the Honourable Jill Dunlop; Critic, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Peter Tabuns; the Warden of Hastings County, Bob Mullin; the Mayor of Tyendinaga Township, Claire Kennelly; member municipalities within Hastings County and Lennox & Addington; Chief of Emergency Services and Paramedic Chief for Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services, Carl Bowker; the Paramedic Chief of Lennox and Addington Paramedic Services, Craig Jones; Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte Fire Chief, Scott Maracle; Director of Fire and Emergency Services, City of Belleville, Dan Smith; and Alto President & CEO, Martin Imbleau.
Posted on behalf of the Tyendinaga Township Volunteer Fire Fighters Association.
Municipal & Regional Government
Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC)
EOWC Resolution 2026-02 — The EOWC Opposes the Alto High-Speed Rail Project in Its Current Form
The EOWC — representing 103 communities across a 50,000 km² region — formally opposes the ALTO project in its current form. Calls on the federal government and ALTO to fully explore route options along existing infrastructure corridors, including VIA Rail and/or Highway 401.
Bill C-15 & Democratic Accountability
Ecojustice (lead signatory)
More Than 100 Experts Warn Bill C-15 Threatens Canada’s Democratic Foundations
Open letter signed by over 100 legal scholars, human rights experts, Indigenous leaders, and civil-society organizations urging parliamentarians to remove Part 5, Division 5 from Bill C-15.
Human Rights Watch
Open Letter to Federal Parliamentarians on Budget Bill C-15
Human Rights Watch is a co-signatory on the parliamentary open letter. The letter characterizes Part 5, Division 5 of C-15 as a “constitutional abomination” enabling ministers to suspend laws protecting health, environment, Indigenous rights, privacy, and national security.
Links verified April 2026. This page is maintained by the Alto HSR Citizen Research Initiative. If a link has changed, please contact us.