High Speed Rail Proposal
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Re: The St. Lawrence Corridor Economic Development Commission: Alto High Speed Rail Network Project Cutting Through Eastern Ontario
On behalf of the St. Lawrence Corridor Economic Development Commission and our members across Eastern Ontario, we write to express our profound disappointment and serious concerns regarding the outgoing Prime Minister’s announcement on February 19, 2025, concerning the Alto high-speed rail network development plan between Toronto and Quebec City. As currently proposed, this plan excludes crucial communities along the St. Lawrence Corridor, including Cornwall, Brockville, Kingston, Belleville, and Cobourg. This omission will have long-term negative effects on our region’s economy, employment, and overall prosperity.
The Corridor strongly supports transportation expansion that enhances accessibility and economic opportunities across rural and small-urban communities. However, the current proposal bypasses a region home to approximately 800,000 residents, cutting through our communities without delivering direct benefits. This decision threatens to leave our region behind in the next phase of economic renewal and development. Without proper rail access, local businesses, trail systems, and tourism industries will face severe setbacks, ultimately reducing the region’s GDP and growth potential.
We urge your government, in its waning days, to reevaluate this plan and ensure that Eastern Ontario is not left out of this historic investment. Specifically, we call for:
- The inclusion of additional train stops across Eastern Ontario – Integrating high-speed rail stops in communities such as Cornwall, Brockville, Kingston, Belleville, and Cobourg will strengthen transit networks, improve accessibility for our residents, and provide a much-needed economic boost to our businesses and local workforce.
- Consideration of the impact on recreational trails and regional connectivity – Our trail networks serve as a crucial economic driver, promoting tourism and providing essential transportation links for both residents and visitors. The current rail alignment could negatively affect these networks, undermining the very economic and social benefits that transportation infrastructure should seek to enhance.
Investing in high-speed rail should not come at the expense of regional equity. The prosperity of Eastern Ontario is integral to the success of Canada’s economy as a whole, and it is imperative that our communities are not overlooked in major infrastructure initiatives.
We respectfully request a reevaluation of the plan that will include a critical region in Ontario’s economy – a region that has been an industrial heartland since Confederation. This infrastructure project should not just open up economic prosperity for 3 metropolitan cities, but for all those of us that live and work along the shores of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.
Sincerely,
Charlie Mignault
Commissioner
St. Lawrence Corridor Economic Development Commission
charlie@slcedc.com
