The organization representing francophone owners of private forest properties in Eastern Ontario has shared its concerns about the Alto project with United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) Council.
Boisés Est has more than 200 members who own a total of 10,000 acres of forest.
On April 22, Boisés Est President Jean St-Pierre appeared before UCPR Council and outlined the concerns of its members about the proposed high-speed rail project. They include the $60 to $90 billion estimated cost, affordability, potential land expropriations, effects on forests and wildlife, and suspicion it will benefit urban residents more than rural residents.
“There are maybe advantages for big cities,” St-Pierre said, before adding he believes the advantages will be fewer for rural forested and agricultural areas.
St-Pierre said that for Boisés Est members, a lot of questions for Alto have not received adequate responses.
Boisés Est would like the UCPR to formally request a complete revision of the Alto plan for its Ottawa to Montréal line. Boisés Est would like that request to include positive and negative aspects of the project verified by independent experts, environmental impacts, impacts on social wellbeing, impacts on municipal services, and suggestions for alternative routes.
St-Pierre said he has been taking part in many meetings about Alto, including with Prescott-Russell-Cumberland Member of Parliament Giovanna Mingarelli. St-Pierre said there have been good discussions with landowners and a lot of information shared and gathered.
St-Pierre described the Alto project as something motivated by politics and therefore likely difficult to change. He said a route that has the most public acceptance should be selected and mentioned having the rail line run parallel to Highway 417.
