It’s Time for Ontario to Build Big Again.
It’s 1964, the year that marked the end of segregation in the United States, the introduction of the pension plan in Canada, and, most importantly for our topic, the first high-speed rail system in Japan began its operations. High-speed rail, or HSR, has been a prominent topic in Canadian politics since the tenure of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Yet, it was only under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that ALTO was officially announced and high-speed rail began being considered an actual possibility for Canadians. ALTO is a federal crown corporation that’s a wholly owned subsidiary of VIA Rail. Being a wholly owned subsidiary means that ALTO is 100% owned by VIA Rail. As part of that ownership, ALTO was known previously as VIA HFR—VIA TGF.
A poll conducted by Probe Research revealed that out of 1,300 Canadians surveyed, 61% of respondents supported the project. Among the G7, Canada remains the only nation without an operational high-speed rail system. Considering Canada’s density in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor, which hosts nearly half of the country’s population, it’s an apt critique to label the absence as a policy failure. Yet, while polls point to Canadians being receptive, partisans remain in contempt of the project. The leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre, railed against the project, one he previously supported. Poilievre cited fiscal irresponsibility and insisted that Canadians would not live to board those trains. In Quebec, a province where four stops are projected to be designated, the Parti Quebecois are running on a platform that vows to withdraw Quebec from ALTO. According to polls from Leger, Pallas, and Synopsis, the PQ are projected to win a minority government in the Quebec National Assembly. Therefore, the likelihood of ALTO being shut down as a project before construction begins is a real possibility. The wide reach and inter-jurisdictional factors at play make the federal ALTO project difficult to hash out among varying parties and interest groups.
Amidst the partisan and jurisdictional bickering, it makes sense for Ontario, as a province, to consider a high-speed rail alternative. One that utilizes the Ottawa-Windsor corridor. Under the current provincial government, taxpayer dollars are being frivolously spent constructing a $30 million spa, expanding Billy Bishop, and planning to purchase a Ferris wheel in Niagara, as well as procuring the infamous Bombardier jet. It seems as if our politicians are failing to deliver on the social contract and have fundamentally exhausted their ideas. That is why it was refreshing to listen to Eric Lombardi speak about his plans for a high-speed rail alternative for Southern Ontario. Eric, on his website, contrasts the expenditure for the rail network with the 401 tunnel. The tunnel would cost approximately $100 billion, and the high-speed rail network would cost $97 billion. The benefits of this Southern Ontario high-speed rail system are connecting the major economic centres of Southern Ontario, reducing pressure across the highway network; expanding the greater Golden Horseshoe catchment; supporting labour; extending connectivity, serving rural regions; and allowing for greater inter-city economic development. When contrasted with the tunnelling under the 401, none of those would be accomplished. The network would have two lines, one being the Southern Ontario HSR, which stretches from Oshawa to Windsor, and the Greater Golden Horseshoe HSR, extending from Barrie to Niagara Falls. In Eric’s model, the federal ALTO line is included as well. Therefore, the farthest the line extends northward is toward Oshawa. Kitchener-Waterloo and Hamilton, respectively, have a greater population than Trois-Rivières and Laval, two of the designated ALTO stations. Therefore, it only makes sense for greater connectivity amongst the two regions through a Southern Ontario High-Speed Rail system to boost our economy, create jobs, and save people the one resource they can’t get back: time.
To clarify, this isn’t an endorsement of any candidate from my side. Further, as a foundation, we don’t support any candidate during an intra-party election, provincial election, or federal election.
The question is for you, fellow Canadians and Ontarians: What do we invest in and care about?
Sincerely,
Rehan Mazid
