KIM BURTON-SCHRAM
Local journalism initiative reporter
The Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC) has expressed its opposition to the Alto high-speed railway planned to run from Quebec City to Toronto. With the first leg of the railway planned from Montreal to Ottawa, local property owners and municipal governments from 103 communities that could be impacted by the Alto railway have strongly expressed their concerns about the project that is expected to cost between $60 billion and $90 billion.
The EOWC fears the line could have a huge impact on Eastern Ontario without providing any long-term benefits. Farms, properties and communities could be split by the fenced tracks that require as straight a line as possible through rural areas to achieve speeds as high as 300 kilometres per hour. The federal government can expedite the acquisition of land through the Expropriation Act, by limiting landowners’ rights and bypassing negotiations.
The EOWC complains there has not been sufficient information provided by the Alto project team nor the federal government regarding long-term costs, financial obligations of taxpayers, and impacts on wetlands, valuable farmland and wildlife habitats. At the recent SDG Counties Council meeting, it was decided that Peter Young, Director of Planning and Economic Development Services, would relay the concerns of the municipalities that could be affected. SDG is asking Alto to work closely with staff from SDG and North Glengarry Township. Issues include possible effects on emergency services’ abilities to respond to all areas along the Alto corridor in a timely manner. Additionally, the Counties want reassurance that the costs for alternative routes and crossings necessary to access land divided by the high-speed railway are funded by Alto. Further concern lies with the sustainability of the existing VIA rail routes and whether those railway services through Alexandria and Cornwall will continue. North Glengarry Township says the benefit of rail line construction jobs will be short-lived and is worried about adverse economic effects on communities that might be separated by the line.
L’article A united municipal front against Alto line est apparu en premier sur Cornwall Seaway News.
