Alto rail project must stop, eastern Ontario residents say

Residents in Eastern Ontario are voicing strong opposition and feelings of betrayal following the federal government's announcement that it will consider a high-speed rail stop in Kingston. Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon revealed on Monday that a southern route option, linking Ottawa and Peterborough, is now under consideration, potentially including Kingston.

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When I first heard about the project back in January, when I heard about the southern route, it was devastating. I remember falling to my knees in my house, wondering what was going to happen and whether they were going to just plow through these communities.

This development has sparked significant concern among residents like Sarah McMullen, who fears the proposed rail line could cut through her family's property. "When I first heard about the project back in January, when I heard about the southern route, it was devastating," McMullen stated, describing her emotional reaction to the possibility of the rail line impacting cherished natural spaces.

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It is where my dad taught me how to fish. It’s where my dad and I used to walk down the Cataract Way Trail together, watching like the butterflies landing on the milk weed, or what the muskrat was up to and watching like the birds.

Alto, the Crown corporation overseeing the project, confirmed it was instructed to assess the southern route, noting it could reduce travel times between Kingston and Toronto from three hours to approximately 90 minutes. Public consultation reports indicate that a majority of people living along the proposed corridor between Quebec City and Toronto expressed some support for the project.

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When I first heard about the project back in January, when I heard about the southern route, it was devastating. I remember falling to my knees in my house, wondering what was going to happen and whether they were going to just plow through these communities.

However, MacKinnon's statement that he was "acting on what we heard" in public consultations is being met with skepticism by opponents. Sarah McMullen, part of the community group Save South Frontenac, argues that the proposed Kingston stop is being presented as a solution without addressing the core concerns of many Eastern Ontario residents. Their group's polling suggests a significant portion of residents in South Frontenac municipalities do not support the southern route or the high-speed rail project at all.

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They’re making it seem like they are answering our questions and that stopping in Kingston is the answer to everyone’s complaints in Eastern Ontario.