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by Isabel D I live somewhere between Montreal and Ottawa. I travel regularly to Toronto for work, and I always take the Via train - the train that already exists. Today was one such day. This morning, like usual, I drove to the station that is most convenient for me – the Via station in Cornwall, Ontario. There was no traffic to worry about, of course. I knew that parking would be easy. This will all play out very differently if my “closest station” becomes downtown Montreal due to Alto –...

February 24, 2026 As a group of ecologists and conservation scientists based at Carleton University in eastern Ontario, we felt it important to provide an environmental perspective on the proposed Alto High-Speed Rail Project. The proposed Alto Project presents both environmental benefits and harms. Benefits include potential decreases in greenhouse gas emissions, while harms include wildlife habitat loss, reduced ecological and hydrological connectivity, pollution, and disruption of...

When the federal government introduced Alto in February 2025 as the Crown corporation spearheading the Toronto–Québec City high-speed rail project, the announcement promised a leap forward in Canadian transportation. Yet, months after the reveal, public focus shifted from the trains themselves to the project's branding efforts. This shift raises important questions about priorities and accountability in a major public infrastructure initiative. The High Cost of a New Name Before any detailed...