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26-17 - Alto High-Speed Rail and Ag Land
BFO understands the concern among beef farmers in eastern Ontario about the impact this development would have on farm families, rural communities, and Ontario’s agricultural land base. This is an issue that BFO has been engaged in since you brought it to our attention at the AGM. BFO has long advocated for protections and safeguards for farmland and marginal lands used for grazing, ensuring governmental approach to Ontario agriculture does not forget about the important role beef farmers play in the environment.
In April 2026, BFO participated in Alto’s first round of public consultations and recommended that the project be suspended until all outstanding concerns are fully addressed. BFO’s position aligns with the concerns raised by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and l’Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA). Our written comment submission highlighted the following items:
- Stay out of prime agricultural areas, and BFO would add, actively farmed lands including pasture and marginal land used for beef farming
- Avoid breaking farms into smaller pieces and keep fields and farm operations whole
- Protect farm drainage systems that are essential for crop production
- Address farmers’ concerns about construction impacts and ongoing costs, including fencing, and the building, upgrading and long-term maintenance of safe farm crossings for equipment and livestock
- Ensure agricultural impact assessments are independent, thorough and publicly available
In early May, the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) hosted Ontario’s annual federal fly-in lobby day in Ottawa. BFO directors and staff participated as part of CCA and Ontario’s advocacy efforts. We emphasized our concerns with Members of Parliament and Senators about this project and the detrimental impact it would have on producers whose farms, businesses, and homes fall within the proposed corridors.
Additionally, Alto hosted a series of virtual information sessions and in-person open houses across the province. BFO directors and staff attended these events to engage directly with Alto representatives, better understand the proposed farmland acquisition process, and raise questions about the potential impacts on agricultural land and the measures planned to address those concerns. BFO continues to monitor Alto’s public communications regarding the project, including its proposed approach and mitigation measures intended to minimize impacts on farmland and agricultural operations.
Alto recently published a “What We Heard” report highlighting the comments and findings from the first round of consultations. They found that:
- While many of the respondents (55 percent) felt that the impact of the project within the corridor would be positive, some participants raised concerns with potential regional negative impacts (41.3 percent).
- 8 percent are very much in favour of building a high-speed passenger train to link Québec City, Trois-Rivières, Laval, Montréal, Ottawa, Peterborough, and Toronto, whereas 35 percent are not in favour at all.
- 8 percent stated the project has more advantages, 8.5 percent equal and 39.7 percent has more disadvantages.
- Rural participants raised concerns about farmland loss, expropriation, reduced property values, and whether compensation would fully address relocation, whole-farm impacts, and financial losses. Key issues included timelines, farm access and crossings, land fragmentation, drainage, and the need for an agricultural lens in the impact assessment. Many cited uncertainties around the final alignment and urged use of existing rail corridors where possible.
BFO will continue to follow this project closely and stay involved throughout the consultation process. We'll keep working with the OFA and other commodity groups to make sure beef producers' concerns are heard and considered as decisions are made.
BFO will keep local associations informed as this issue moves forward, including any updates or potential solutions that support a fair outcome for producers.