To the Editor,

Our community is at a crossroads.

The proposed ALTO High-Speed Rail line between Ottawa and Montréal will shape our region for decades. Unfortunately, the current plan is exploiting us; we’re funding the project with our taxes and sacrificing our land for the route. We shoulder the disruption but receive no benefit because we have no access to a station on the line.

That needs to change.

We are Hawkesbury on Track, a grassroots, community group with no affiliation to Alto, government, lobbying groups, or political parties. Our view is simple: community impact should come with community access. We’re not debating the project itself; we’re saying that if it’s built, our region should benefit.

Hawkesbury makes sense as a central stop between Ottawa and Montréal. It is an economic and services hub for Prescott-Russell, SD&G, Laurentides, and parts of Lanaudière. Other potential hubs lie too close to either city, are not central to the affected regions, or do not fall within the proposed corridor.

A stop in Hawkesbury would:

  • Connect surrounding communities to jobs in Ottawa, Montréal, Laval, and even Trois-Rivières
  • Provide access to post-secondary education and specialized healthcare, including children’s hospitals
  • Support rural-urban integration across Ontario and Québec
  • Promote tourism in the surrounding areas

At the open house, we heard similar ideas of a stop along the 417. We’re supportive of any stop in our region, but we believe a proposal for a station is most likely to get approved if it’s in an existing hub.

Without a stop, our communities will be left behind. Businesses, housing, and services will continue clustering in Ottawa and Montréal, property values will lag, young people and professionals will keep leaving, and mobility for seniors and low-income residents will remain limited. This could lock our communities out of opportunity for decades to come.

We are calling on our neighbours to join our movement. Hawkesbury has the chance to get on the map, but only if our collective voice is heard. Public consultations continue until March, and the corridor will be finalized by the end of this year.

We have to act now.

If any of this resonates with you, get involved with us. Join our Facebook group, Hawkesbury on Track, at facebook.com/hawkesburyontrack or email us at [email protected].

Remember: community impact should come with community access.

Sincerely,

Michael Simpkin & Crystal Faqiri
Hawkesbury on Track