From opposition to hesitation to full-on support in a span of two weeks?
Renfrew County council will consider a motion this week expressing its “strong support” for the federal government’s high-speed rail project.
The motion, drafted by Deep River Reeve Glenn Doncaster, calls on county council to throw its support behind “the economic and environmentally responsible development and implementation of Canadian nation-building projects, such as Alto,” the Crown corporation created to build a high-speed rail connection between Toronto and Quebec City.
The motion says such projects “create employment for thousands of Canadians, prioritize the use of Canadian materials, and strengthen our country’s capacity to extract, process, manufacture, and transport resources, goods, services, and people more efficiently to provincial, national, and international markets.”
Doncaster’s motion suggests that “creating an efficient, reliable, and sustainable transportation infrastructure is essential to economic growth, environmental responsibility, and national connectivity,” and that Alto will “significantly reduce travel times between major urban centres, improving mobility for residents, workers, and businesses.”
“High-speed rail offers a cleaner alternative to car and air travel, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and supporting climate goals,” the motion states.
“Investment in modern rail systems strengthens national competitiveness and aligns with global advancements in transportation innovation.”
The motion calls on “all relevant levels of government to prioritize funding, planning, and timely implementation of the project,” while also calling for “continued community engagement and transparent decision-making to ensure the project reflects public needs and concerns.”
“The County of Refrew strongly encourage(s) the federal government and Alto project leaders to evaluate very carefully, consider and minimize the impact of this project to the greatest extent possible on existing Canadian residents and landowners and on wildlife and the environment while still achieving greatly enhanced transportation services for all Canadians.”
If passed copies of the motion would be sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Premier Doug Ford, the federal Minister of Transportation, MPPs, municipal organizations like the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), all Eastern Ontario municipalities, “and Eastern Ontario First Nations partners and relevant stakeholders to demonstrate broad support for the Alto high-speed rail initiative.”
The motion represents a 180-degree turn from the position the county was asked to take two weeks ago.
On April 8, county council rejected a motion from the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus (EOWC) calling on the federal government and Alto to “fully explore train route options along existing infrastructure corridors, such as VIA Rail and/or Highway 401.”
The motion noted that EOWC “formally opposes the Alto project in its current form.”
Through its counties, the EOWC represents 103 small urban and rural municipalities across eastern Ontario, stretching from Kawartha Lakes to Cornwall and from Renfrew County in the north to Prince Edward County on Lake Ontario.
EOWC said its opposition to Alto was “based on concerns related to insufficient municipal consultation, unclear rural and small-urban impacts, potential environmental effects, and alignments with existing eastern Ontario planning and infrastructure priorities.”
But in a surprise move, council voted unanimously to reject the motion.
Renfrew Reeve Peter Emon said he felt the motion was “premature.”
Emon said he would have liked to have seen a “more nuanced motion,” suggesting “limited acceptance of the idea, with the understanding that a bunch of questions” still need to be answered.
“Because I think all the questions are being asked are very relevant, but I don’t see this being the stage to say, no, we’re going to turn her back on a $60 billion infrastructure investment that benefits all of Canada.”
Admaston Bromley Mayor Michael Donohue agreed.
Donohue said that if the motion had said EOWC could not support high-speed rail without further consultation, “that might perhaps have gotten close enough for me.”
“But (this motion) is suggesting that it is actively opposing this, and that is what presents the challenge,” he said.
Doncaster also spoke against the EOWC motion.
Doncaster agreed that without more information, “it’s very difficult” to support a motion against the high-speed rail project.
He said that like the nuclear industry, “people protest against that without having any information on a daily basis.”
“We know that people really don’t like change,” he said.
“Yet all of these same people, who will fight this project till the end of time, they’re also the same people that’ll go to Europe and talk about how great the train system is.”
Former prime minister Justin Trudeau announced in February 2025 that the federal government will invest $3.9 billion over the next six years to help develop a high-speed rail service under Alto.
The full cost of the project is expected to hit $60-90 billion.
The proposed route will connect Toronto to Quebec City with stops in Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, and Trois Rivieres.
By Vance Gutzman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Apr 22, 2026 at 09:20
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