Stand4THEE

‼️NO STAND4THEE FRIDAY ZOOM TONIGHT!‼️

We all deserve a break now and then, and tonight is one of those nights BUT you can still take action!

First, have you heard about the Alto High Speed Rail from Quebec City to Toronto - https://https://www.altotrain.ca/en - and the associated legislation, Bill C-15? The information below was shared from Angela Bakker, a farmer in Ontario, and this information is shocking! The plans for this train will require expropriating homes and farms, but does anyone even wan this train?

Please read the inforamtion shared, and at below there are steps you can take to help support home owners and our farmers!

From Angela Bakker:

I attended an Alto information session last evening. My goal was to simply listen, learn, and understand the perspectives in the room.

What I encountered was a wide range of voices - farmers concerned about generational land, property owners worried about uncertainty and others who simply felt uneasy.

I noticed a gap between technical planning and public understanding. Through conversations with other attendees I realized that most were not reacting to the concept of the rail in principle but with the uncertainty about land, livelihoods, timelines, and transparency.

In my opinion, better structure and clarity in communication on the part of Alto would have changed the tone of the meeting. Showing a preferred route alongside alternatives, explaining what stage the project is in, and speaking directly to property impacts would have helped people engage with facts rather than fears.

Clear communication wouldn't remove disagreement but it sure would create the conditions for informed judgement and I believe that is what public consultation should strive to provide. The complete lack of transparency and lack of answers to even the most basic of questions has me very concerned. The Alto reps were acting like the decision has already been made but it's like they got shoved at us without knowing many facts about the project.

So here is what I did learn. There are 2 proposed rail corridors 10 km wide. Our farm is in the northern corridor. I placed a red dot in the area where our farms are located.

From what little I got from the meeting, the Northern route is preferred. The exact location of the rail is unknown but my guess (along with some of the reps) is it will run along the main hydro lines. These lines run straight through one of my rental farms and would also block me from reaching my main rental farm (which has even more pasture than my own property) which I use to pasture my cattle. I need to get to them usually twice a day during the growing season. They may also need to take some of our farm to have access during the building phase because of a river that blocks them access. But I'm only guessing here. Like I mentioned above, the uncertainties of this project is next level.

What about Emergency service or fire access? These trains are not like other trains with vehicle crossings. The only way to cross a track is by overhead bridge or under ground which only happens along "main" roads and highways. What is their definition of "main"?

While I was talking with an Alto rep they explained to me how a project like this is difficult in a democratic country like ours compared to China. This is where Bill C-15 comes in.

Buried inside this bill, a 600-page omnibus budget bill, is the High-Speed Rail Network Act. First reading was November 18, 2025. It passed the House of Commons February 26th, 2026 and is now before the Senate - moving fast and deliberately under the radar.

Here's what's in it: Under normal Canadian law, the government has to try to negotiate with you before expropriating your land. Bill C-15 removes that requirement entirely for this project. They can take first, compensate later - on their terms. The bill also strips away standard notice obligations, meaning less warning and less time to respond.

Alto

Shaping Canada’s Future With a High-Speed Train

Bringing our lives and cities closer together.

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