Public Consultation Report

On June 22, 2026, Alto released its Public Consultation Report (the “Report”) for the proposed high-speed rail project for the Toronto-Quebec corridor. The Report follows the conclusion of the 100-day public consultation period, which took place from January to April 2026. The public consultation process involved 26 in-person open houses, 31 thematic roundtables, and 10 virtual public sessions. In addition to these events, Alto collected feedback through its online consultation portal, which received 324,026 unique visits, 24,142 completed questionnaires, 427 briefs, and 19,903 comments through its interactive map.

What was Heard

The first round of consultation generated significant feedback and examined the nearly 1,000-kilometer study corridor between Quebec City and Toronto. The consultation identified several key themes, including land acquisition and expropriation, farmland protection, environmental considerations, project costs and timelines, and resources and procurement. 

The Report further noted opposition and apprehension regarding potential land acquisition and emphasized concerns related to farmland protection and the preservation of agricultural connectivity. Among these concerns were the historic impacts of mass land expropriations such as the Mirabel and Pickering airports and Lebreton Flats, the difficulty for homeowners to find comparable homes during a housing crisis, and the potential for lands to be expropriated bellow market value following the Alto project announcement.

Concerns were also expressed by the farming community regarding the timeline and process of the project, impacts on access and crossings, efficiency effects due to severance and fragmentation, and alterations to drainage and water. It was also requested that there be a dedicated agricultural impact lens during the regulatory review process of the Impact Assessment.

Of further note was the frequency with which questions and concerns were raised regarding the potential impacts of Bill C-15. Common concerns related to its effect on good-faith negotiations during the expropriations process and the effects of expeditious land acquisitions. To understand more on the effects of Bill C-15 on the expropriation process, see Federal Expropriation Act | With Bill C-15 – Modifications.

Next Steps

The Report outlined future consultation plans and next steps, stating that the feedback compiled during the initial public consultation phase will be used to inform the alignment selection process and the overall project design. 

It is expected that a narrower corridor of no more than one kilometer will be presented in the fall of 2026 for the Central Segment (between Ottawa and Montreal) followed by a new phase of public consultation specifically related to this new Corridor. Beyond 2026, Alto will present similar narrowed corridors for the Western Segment (Toronto to Ottawa) and Eastern Segment (Laval to Quebec City), followed by additional phases of public engagement. 

Alto also indicated that it intends to further implement its commitment to rural communities by prioritizing negotiated agreements for land acquisitions and by limiting impacts when selecting the alignment of the eventual 60-meter right-of-way.