ALTNO is calling on all Ontario Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to oppose efforts by Alto to get municipal governments to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDA) about discussions between the federal crown corporation and municipalities about the proposed high-speed rail project.
United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) Council already rejected a request from Alto for an NDA on May 27, 2026. United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry (SDG) Council followed on June 15 and rejected a request by Alto for an NDA.
In a press release, ALTNO called the NDA requests undemocratic.
“This is not consultation. This is coercion,” said Altno Director Kathleen O’Connell Renaud in the press release.
O’Connell Renaud is also a candidate for Councillor in the upcoming municipal election in East Hawkesbury.
ALTNO that municipalities are left to choose between signing an NDA or being excluded entirely from discussions about what will happen to their communities.
“This approach isolates communities and forces decisions in the dark,” said ALTNO spokesperson Kristin Muller, in the press release. Muller is also an East Hawkesbury resident.
ALTNO emphasizes that meaningful consultation must be transparent, inclusive, and accountable to the public. The organization is calling for an immediate halt to the use of NDAs with municipalities, full public release of corridor options and evaluation criteria, open, council-level engagement processes with no restrictions on information sharing, and a formal role for municipalities in decision-making that reflects their responsibility to residents.
