The United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) will not allow ALTO survey crews access to UCPR lands as part of the Crown corporation’s studies to determine the final route for its proposed high-speed rail project. Prescott and Russell’s eight mayors voted against a resolution to allow ALTO access during the Wednesday May 27 UCPR council session. (File photo)
ALTO is not allowed to send its field crews onto properties of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell.
All eight mayors on the UCPR council voted against a resolution to grant property access to the Crown corporation working on a proposed high-speed passenger rail project to link Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City and points in-between.
The decision to deny ALTO access to UCPR lands for its route survey crews was one of the final items of business during the Wednesday, May 27 UCPR council session. The rejection vote followed after an in-camera discussion of ALTO’s request after the main public portion of the Wednesday council session. The mayors then came out of their closed-door discussion and held a registered vote on the resolution with each mayor declaring no support for ALTO’s request.
“This message is to the CAO. Please advise Alto Corporation that this council does not want them on our territory, have refused the signing of the Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA), and access to UCPR lands,” said Mario Zanth, who is the Warden of the UCPR and Mayor of Clarence-Rockland during UCPR’s May council session.
Alto is contacting municipal governments and private property owners throughout Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec, seeking permission to do physical and biological surveys of both public and private lands as part of ALTO’s preliminary work to determine the final route for its high-speed rail line.
The field studies are to take place during spring and summer this year. The results collected would be combined with information that ALTO has gathered about local and regional concerns and issues about the proposed high-speed rail project to help determine the final route. All landholders who allow ALTO access to their properties for field surveys must sign a NDA.
“This was not a vote against progress,” said Zanth in a video post to his social media accounts. “This was a vote for transparency, responsible decision making and local autonomy.”
Zanth said that any infrastructure projects must be respectful local communities from day one.
“Our residents deserve to know what is being proposed and how it is going to affect farmlands, local roads, taxpayers, property owners and the environment before any decision is made behind closed doors,” added the UCPR Warden.
