Greater Napanee council has delayed a decision on the proposed Alto high-speed rail project until later this month, after a report on federal consultations and growing local concerns.
CAO Matthew Grant told council he attended the March 26 stakeholder meetings with Alto, the Crown corporation leading the project, to better understand the plan and report back. The project is part of the federal government’s Major Projects Office and is intended to connect Quebec City and Toronto.
The proposal outlines a 1,000-kilometre rail line with trains reaching up to 300 km/h, but councillors raised strong concerns about farmland loss, environmental damage, and costs
Several councillors, including Deputy Mayor Brian Calver, opposed the project or both route options outright.
Council ultimately voted to defer the matter to its April 28 meeting to allow all members to participate and review public input
Officials said the deferral will also allow all councillors to review new correspondence received from the public. The clerk noted submissions arrived after the agenda deadline and will be included in the next meeting package
The item is scheduled to return on April 28 meeting agenda package.
Written by Emily Chatwood
