Farmers FIGHT BACK against Alto project

Farmers and landowners gathered in Rigaud, Quebec, with a warning for Ottawa: Canada’s proposed high-speed Alto railway may promise faster travel between Toronto and Quebec City, but some rural residents fear the price could be their land.

Alexandra Lavoie
  |   September 21, 2026   |   News   |   Be the first to comment

Rebel News was on the ground Saturday, September 19, as demonstrators protested the massive rail project, whose preliminary construction estimate ranges from $60 billion to $90 billion. Ottawa stresses that this remains an early estimate, not the final project budget. The planned network would stretch roughly 1,000 kilometres and reach speeds of up to 300 km/h.

For those living along potential routes, however, the biggest issue was expropriation.

Under the federal High-Speed Rail Network Act contained in Bill C-15, thousands of parcels could ultimately be required. Alto would not have to demonstrate that attempts to purchase a property had failed before requesting expropriation. Landowners can still submit written objections and challenge compensation, but the normal requirement for a public hearing following an objection does not apply to this project.

One protester described the potential impact bluntly: “Potentially, my land is separated in half. Potentially, I’m going to have dead end roads all around me. And for sure, I’m going to have a massive tax bill to pay for something that I’m not going to use.”

Another called the project “a government theft of personal property and taxpayers’ money.”

The federal government says willing-buyer, willing-seller negotiations will be prioritized and expropriation used only as a last resort. But protesters in Rigaud remain unconvinced.

Their message to Prime Minister Mark Carney was simple. “Listen to the farmers.”

“Please reconsider,” another pleaded.

And one landowner was even more direct: “Mr. Mark Carney. Don’t do the TGV. Don’t do the high-speed train.”

Sign the petition to stop the Alto rail line!

10,276 signatures
Goal: 15,000 signatures
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Ottawa is advancing ALTO — a proposed 300 km/h rail line from Toronto to Quebec City — with a projected cost of $90 billion and no guarantee that'll be the end of it.

The plan would carve a 1,000-kilometre corridor up to 60 metres wide through productive farmland and private property, dividing communities and affecting families who receive little to no benefit. In many stretches, there are no rural stations planned at all.

Other megaprojects have spiralled in cost and delay. Meanwhile, consultations are closing quickly, and concerns remain about expropriation, oversight, and accountability.

Before billions more are committed and land is permanently disrupted, Canadians deserve transparency and a full public debate.

Will you sign?

Alexandra Lavoie

Quebec based Journalist

Alexa graduated with a degree in biology from Laval University. Throughout her many travels, she has seen political instability as well as corruption. While she witnessed social disorder on a daily basis, she has always been a defender of society’s most vulnerable. She’s been around the world several times, and now joins Rebel News to shed light on today’s biggest stories.

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