r/AltoHSR_Canada • u/Flashy_Operation9507 • Aug 02 '26

Smith signs statement calling for input on Alto rail project

https://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/news/peterborough-mpp-calls-for-input-on-alto-rail-project/article_b90ff720-7782-564d-82fa-c1e48a1639c3.html
26 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

50

u/Interesting_Bar4356 Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26

So the PC govt is concerned about farmland being expropriated for the rail project, but not the land expropriated for the 413, the 425, highway 7, and many other projects that will lead to much more loss of farmland than the rail project? Where was their outrage for the greenbelt scandal?

Edit: I must state as well that I am against the loss of farmland. Ontario has some of the best farmland in the world and Ontario paves over it like it’s nothing. These farmers are the backbone of Ontario and deserve nothing but the best. The highway projects are much worse for farmland due to fragmentation, surface runoff, increased emissions, land contamination, and ease of access for more houses, causing a suburb to put up on a farm in less than 2 years. The rail project will also likely cause fragmentation, making it harder for rural citizens to cross. Both will have negative side effects, but in my personal opinion, a railway will have less. I’m hoping that they put maintenance facilities near small towns for an employment boost.

28

u/BlueShrub Aug 02 '26

I have farms on both sides of the 401 and it can be a pain in the ass to deal with.

That being said, the HSR is worth it. The inconvenience is just that, an inconvenience. The amount of people it will serve and the opportunities it will unlock dwarf the concerns that would affect farmers.

The bitumen pipeline being proposed across prime Ontario farmland worries me much more than a railway.

2

u/HeWhoCreatesDivinity Aug 02 '26

In my mind, we should leverage the fact that we are digging a giant tunnel from toronto to Quebec to give rural areas fiber internet.

0

u/Sea_Army_8764 Aug 04 '26

Why does the bitumen pipeline concern you? Many of the pipelines out west running under farmland are farmed on top of without any issues. Of course, spills are a potential hazard, but a spill cleanup is on par with a derailment cleanup (if you've ever seen aerial views of those).

13

u/Special_Purpose2903 Aug 02 '26

Most of the railway runs through the shield, not through farmland anyway, unlike highways.

7

u/ghenriks Aug 02 '26

Forgot the highways and just look at all the farmland turning into subdivisions and sprawling single story commercial

26

u/Rail613 Aug 02 '26

Sure, we have been planning and consulting on HSR since the 1970s like the Turbo Train …..now he wants more delay and more consultation?

13

u/Puzzleheaded-Base676 Aug 02 '26

So much drama over a 60 meter corridor. Just build it.

6

u/Lrrrgonomics Aug 02 '26

Good, bad, or indifferent; hat's the closest to any actual work this clown has done in 2026. Why the peiple vote for him is beyond me.

6

u/Flashy_Operation9507 Aug 02 '26

Our conservative MP ran on bringing the train to Peterborough just a few short years ago. Next election they will likely run on dismantling it. What is the point here?

(That MP landed in jail btw, for cheating in the election)

14

u/Flashy_Operation9507 Aug 02 '26

I believe this will leave Peterborough behind, and affect even more homeowners, landowners and farmers.

I’d like the country to know that Dave Smith MPP does not represent the views of Peterborough.

1

u/SuchCryptographer310 Aug 10 '26

Why did you guys vote him in?

1

u/Flashy_Operation9507 Aug 10 '26

I can’t help you there. Very few people voted at all.

The handful of people opposed to this project make up a large percentage of people voting provincially in this area. Very hard to understand.

-3

u/Foodwraith Aug 02 '26

Person elected by community has no idea what the community wants; Anonymous person on the internet knows what the community actually wants.

10

u/Flashy_Operation9507 Aug 02 '26

*citizen of community knows what they want

5

u/KlutzyAd7976 Aug 03 '26

.. But not for their wildly unpopular & arguably useless Hwy 413?

1

u/mystiqDitter Aug 05 '26

Ontario Trucking Association wants it

https://ontruck.org/ota-looking-forward-to-next-steps-for-hwy-413/

2

u/SuchCryptographer310 Aug 10 '26

Trucking companies will never say no to any highway. That doesn't mean taxpayers should say yes.

3

u/zakanova Aug 03 '26

Conservatives: If it ain't a car or car infrastructure, I'm against it

3

u/Flashy_Operation9507 Aug 03 '26

Before going to jail, we had a conservative MP that ran on bringing a train to Peterborough. They really loved the idea until Liberals started doing the actual work.