Now is the Time for a Real, Fact-based Discussion about Alto Alternatives
Expropriation—or cabinet fast-tracking—cannot happen before that discussion
Yesterday Quebec’s Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) and Vision Transport released a study showing that the existing passenger rail system could be modernized and upgraded for $100 billion less than the Alto High Speed Rail project. This modern, high frequency VIA Rail alternative would, unlike Alto, also serve all of the small communities in regions between Toronto and Quebec City, without severing rural ecosystems, communities, and farms—Alto would slice through over 500 farms in the first stage alone!
The National Farmers Union (NFU) and the National Farmers Union – Ontario (NFU-O) stand with UPA, calling for the federal government to carefully consider this serious alternative proposal that is a fraction of the cost of the Alto project, with most of the benefits, and would mostly involve construction in the existing right-of-way, thereby avoiding almost all of Alto’s serious, long-term collateral damage.
We also stand with the UPA—as we did in June—to repeat our rejection of Alto’s invitation to “collaborate” with them, which would only happen if we signed a contract containing a non-disclosure (NDA) clause. Alto has attempted to refute UPA’s study and alternative proposal and Alto’s head of Marketing, CEO Martin Imbleau, claims not to have heard that farm organizations’ united refusal to talk was due to Alto’s NDA demand.
From the outset the NFU and NFU-O have identified Alto’s secretive, unaccountable and baseless High Speed Rail (HSR) project as problematic. Since then Alto has only doubled down with an aggressive pursuit of NDAs, and has shown a lack of transparency from the board through to their marketing department, which has produced new reports despite a continued lack of supporting evidence.
We were also interested to see in October that the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer fact-checked Alto’s unsubstantiated, back-of-the-envelope $60-90 billion “estimate,” correcting the margin to $73-$113 billion. Weeks later, the Budget Statement included funds to move ahead aggressively with expropriation for this project.
The Vision Transport study reminds us that we have yet to properly assess the options for transport in this country—the only G7 nation without a Transportation Strategy! We also have yet to properly assess what its proponents are calling the largest mega-project in Canada’s history—which came from a high frequency rail infrastructure project tender, with no explanation, and no public or parliamentary debate.
Let’s put the brakes on Alto, and on any expropriations or behind-closed-doors cabinet fast-tracking. Let’s have a serious, evidence-based, open discussion about the alternatives to Alto. In a democracy we do not accept social license by decree.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Phil Mount, NFU VP Policy, vp-policy@nfu.ca, (343) 262-5911
Joshua Suppan, NFU-O President, josh@nfuontario.ca, (705) 738-3993, ext. 2
