The Alto high-speed rail project—a project seeking to connect Toronto, Ontario, to Québec City, Québec—has released its What We Heard report, a culmination of a 100-day community engagement process for the project while also tapping its partner, Cadence, to begin the market engagement process. The new rail connection aims to provide more frequent and reliable passenger rail service, bring communities closer together, foster economic growth across the country and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The report summarizes feedback gathered during the first phase of the public consultation process, as well as through Indigenous consultation activities that were carried out from October 2025 through June 2026 across the Toronto–Québec City Corridor. 

The report reflects feedback from Canadians, Indigenous communities, municipalities, agricultural producers, landowners, industry stakeholders, community organizations and transportation experts on the opportunities, challenges and potential benefits associated with the project. Agricultural producers, landowners and rural communities have raised questions related to property acquisition, impacts on farmland and agricultural operations, access and the potential effects of the project on their properties and communities, according to the project team. This feedback is helping to inform ongoing planning, design and mitigation measures.

Following the review of the findings, Canada Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Steven MacKinnon directed Alto to develop a plan to assess a southern route option between Peterborough, Ontario, and Ottawa that includes a potential stop in Kingston that would interconnect with VIA Rail Canada services, subject to technical feasibility and project requirements.

“Canadians shared valuable perspectives through Alto's consultation process, and we are acting on what we heard,” MacKinnon said. “I have asked Alto to further assess an alignment option that could include Kingston as a potential stop as we continue advancing this transformative project for communities across the Toronto–Québec City corridor.”

The high-speed rail project aims to reduce travel times between Kingston and Toronto to approximately 90 minutes while establishing Kingston as a regional mobility hub, improving connections and placing up to 80% of residents between Peterborough and Ottawa within a 25-minute drive of a station.  

Ongoing exchanges with environmental organizations in the Kingston area as a part of the consultation process illustrated the need to minimize local and environmental impacts, the project partners say. MacKinnon and Alto confirmed these concerns will be taken seriously and that the project will be developed in a way to mitigate potential impacts. The team says this commitment will guide all technical analyses as work progresses. 

Once a preferred alignment is identified, the project will proceed to more detailed design and regulatory review, including the Impact in the assessment process. This next phase will continue to involve consultation with potentially impacted Indigenous communities, public engagement and coordination with provincial, municipal and other partners.

“Consultation is an ongoing dialogue,” said Alto President and CEO Martin Imbleau. “Public input, as well as feedback from organizations, experts and Indigenous communities, is invaluable in helping us refine the project, especially as we chose to engage early in the process. Alto’s objective is to develop a project that delivers the greatest collective benefits while minimizing impacts on communities and the environment. Technical and environmental analyses are continuing rigorously, and this work will allow us to present a more precise alignment this fall that reflects the comments we have received.”

The project team says this work represents a next step in refining the rail corridor and ensuring the project delivers the greatest possible benefits to communities across the Toronto–Québec City corridor while reducing impacts and remaining technically and economically viable. 

Cadence has also begun the market engagement process to present the proposed early procurement activities, anticipated work packages and timelines for the first phase of construction between Ottawa and Montreal.

Cadence invites local and international companies to learn more about the procurement process for the project. Businesses can engage directly with Cadence at upcoming information sessions in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal this July. Expressions of interest will follow, inviting companies to formally indicate their interest in delivering the project’s most significant components.

These activities are designed to help industry prepare for and participate in the various formal procurement processes in 2026, 2027 and beyond.