High-speed rail was one of the issues raised during the citizen question period when Lachute City Council met on July 6.

“Is there anything you can inform us about Alto? What’s going on?” asked Ben Hammond, who owns a farm in the rural, southern part of Lachute.

 “Right now, I don’t have more information than what was put publicly,” responded Mayor Bernard Bigras-Denis.

“We’re not fed that much new information to be honest with you. The collaboration from Alto and what we’re receiving, I’ve got to be honest, it’s not very good,” added the mayor.

“We know that” Hammond interjected.

“I was expecting more collaboration,” continued Bigras-Denis.

He further explained that ground tests are starting to be done and knows they want to do drone tests, but said the city is not very supportive of that. Bigras-Denis said if landowners are not in favour of ground testing, he cannot imagine them supporting testing from the air either.

Hammond said there are drones around. Bigras-Denis said that if anyone suspects they see a drone from Alto, they have to make a complaint. Municipalities have no control over the airspace.

Bigras-Denis said while Alto is still saying 10-kilometre area is being examined as a potential location for the route, it is easier to tell where the line could go based on the locations of the testing. “It’s much more precise than that right now.”

Bigras-Denis said the Municipalité régionale de comté (MRC) d’Argenteuil is working more closely with Alto.

“They want to talk to the MRC’s. They don’t want to talk to the cities,” he said.

Bigras-Denis added he is more aware of the MRC’s relationship with Alto because he is also the chair of its council. He said Alto needs to provide more details about how the potential rail line could affect local infrastructure such as roads.

“On the technical side, what we’re asking is for more detailed information on their plans,” he said.

Bigras-Denis said he met with federal Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon a couple of months ago and asked for a budget.

“We’re not in favour. I want to say this very clearly,” Bigras-Denis emphasized. He said he wants to protect local interests while still opposing the project and does not want to see the area divided by the rail line. He noted that municipalities do not have the power to contest the project and they will know in the months ahead which roads will be affected.

“They’re going to be building tunnels and bridges. We have to be involved in that conversation,” Bigras-Denis said, adding that the only experts on territorial management are the city governments.

“We know what’s going on, on our territory, and we have to be involved in those discussions,” he asserted.

Hammond said even though most of the work is being left to the MRC, council should be more involved.

“Meet with the farmers, meet with the citizens. Have an open meeting,” he said.

“Once this project gets started, it’s going to be very hard to stop,” Hammond added.

“It’s scary how fast they’re going,” Bigras-Denis responded.

Hammond said the previous administration in Lachute had encouraged people to stage demonstrations with pots and pans against a pipeline project.

“You’re free to do whatever you want,” Bigras-Denis said.

“It will be more than pots and pans,” Hammond said.

“Let’s stay away from threats,” responded Bigras-Denis.

“We don’t have many ways we can protest,” Hammond said.

“They’re very secretive. They don’t share any information,” he added.

“Well, they do, about five minutes before it becomes public,” Bigras-Denis said jokingly, causing others to laugh.

After Hammond was finished speaking, Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) President for Saint-Scholastique-Mirabel Christian Couvrette also spoke briefly and expressed concerns about the potential high-speed rail line dividing farms and villages.