Officials in Kingston, Ont., have expressed their backing for high-speed rail, but only if two specific conditions are met – that it follows Highway 401 and includes a stop near the city.
If those elements aren’t included, there will be no “value or benefit” for the region, and council will stand against it, according to a motion introduced by Mayor Bryan Paterson.
Councillors voted 9-2 in favor of these requirements on Tuesday night after hearing from representatives of Alto, the Crown corporation handling the project.
“The case is absolutely, in my view, a slam dunk to add one more stop in Kingston,” Paterson stated, calling the condition “non-negotiable.”
Other councils in the surrounding area have been less enthusiastic.
Both Stone Mills and South Frontenac voted unanimously against the proposed southern route through their townships, with South Frontenac emphasizing there’s “no point” unless the train makes a stop in Kingston.
![]()
City Hall in Kingston, Ont., pictured on Aug. 1, 2021. (John Last/CBC)
Source link
MP says project ‘should be killed’
Rural leaders and residents have voiced concerns about land expropriation, effects on local roads, and potential damage to environmentally sensitive regions and wildlife. “I am opposed to Alto. I think this terrible project should be killed,” declared Lanark-Frontenac MP Scott Reid in a video shared on social media on Feb. 11, citing these issues along with the project’s estimated cost of $60-90 billion. On Tuesday, Kingston city councillors questioned why the southern route is even being considered instead of sticking with the original northern option. Alto staff replied that while they looked into a possible route around Highway 7, that section of the Canadian Shield presented “technical challenges.”Why not Kingston?
Councillors also wondered why Peterborough was chosen as one of the mandated seven stops while Kingston was left out. “If we are bypassed, once the rail’s down we are going to have generations that suffer the economic impact of high-speed rail not coming to us,” Sydenham District’s Conny Glenn told Alto. Pittsburgh District Coun. Ryan Boehme highlighted population density along the St. Lawrence River and noted that people have been “screaming for interconnectivity for years.” “When Alto was created, the mandate was clear it was those seven cities,” responded Alto’s chief communications officer Pierre-Yves Boivin. “I’m afraid that’s all I can say at this point.” No funding has been secured yet, and it’s estimated that building the railway along with necessary overpasses and fencing would take at least 15 years.‘Winners and losers’
While Kingston’s mayor urged council members to address this issue unitedly, two members disagreed during Tuesday’s meeting. Glenn mentioned she supports high-speed rail along highways 401 and 416 but is concerned about what might happen if things don’t go as planned for Kingston. “Is this proposal going to include any iron-clad guarantees that we’re going to be properly served and not cause undue harm to our neighbouring communities?” she asked. “Rail infrastructure should connect communities,” she added. “It shouldn’t divide the corridor into winners and losers.”Source link
