Rural groups fight proposed high-speed rail route through South Frontenac

A proposal to reroute the new ALTO high-speed rail line closer to Kingston, Ont., is facing stiff opposition from rural residents who warn the corridor would sever communities and destroy sensitive environments.

While many local politicians and business leaders have welcomed the possibility of the Toronto-to-Quebec City line passing near the Limestone City, some locals say the cost to South Frontenac is too high.

Opponents argue the proposed southern corridor would cut through the historic Cataraqui Trail and split rural properties in half.

Ron Peterson of the Friends of the Cataraqui Trail says the location is simply “unsuitable” for high-speed transit.

“It’s just a no-brainer that it’s not suitable,” Peterson said. “It’s part of the Trans Canada Trail, it gets used for all sorts of reasons, [and] it crosses sensitive wetlands.”

Peterson warns that the disruption would extend beyond the environment. He notes that a high-speed corridor requires extensive fencing to protect trains travelling at 300 kilometres per hour from wildlife, effectively creating a barrier across the region.

“This rail system would require bridges, it would cut off all sorts of secondary roads because it’s such a large corridor,” he said. “You can’t run into a deer, you can’t even run into a raccoon.”

A separate group, called Save South Frontenac, is raising alarms about the impact on rural homeowners and farmers.

Gord Boulton, a representative for the group, says the rail line threatens to render large swaths of property useless by bisecting them.

“One of the issues in the country generally [is] people who live in the country don’t just own a residence, they also own property,” Boulton explained. “So say you own 100 acres and that train comes across the centre of it, now you only own 50 acres on one side and 50 acres on the other side.”

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While business officials have lobbied for the economic benefits of a nearby stop, Boulton says his group has been urging local leaders to speak out against the current routing proposal.

It appears those efforts are gaining traction. South Frontenac Township Council is set to vote next Tuesday on a motion formally opposing the route.

The motion states that council “will not support the proposed southern corridor going through its Township” and instead argues that a “better suitable corridor and proposed stop would be within the boundaries of the City of Kingston.”

“We’ve been rapidly contacting everyone, we have heard back from a couple of politicians,” Boulton said. “South Frontenac looks like they’re going to have a very strong stance on it.”

The public has until March 29 to provide feedback on the proposed rail corridor.

— with files from Fawwaz Muhammad-Yusuf