Rural naysayers must not torpedo high-speed rail project | Opinion |
Share this Story : Ottawa Citizen Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr
Rural naysayers must not torpedo high-speed rail project | Opinion
Mohammed Adam: If individual interests were allowed to trump the national interest, there will never be progress anywhere.
You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.
The proposed $60-$90 billion Toronto to Quebec City high-speed rail has generated significant opposition, but rural farmers and land owners along the proposed corridor in eastern Ontario who have launched protests against it, cannot — and must not — be allowed to torpedo such a transformational national project.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Unlimited digital access to the Ottawa Citizen.
Analysis on all things Ottawa by Bruce Deachman, Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, and others, award-winning newsletters and virtual events.
Opportunity to engage with our commenting community.
Ottawa Citizen ePaper.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office.
Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account.
Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
Support local journalism.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Access articles from across Canada with one account.
Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
Enjoy additional articles per month.
Get email updates from your favourite authors.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Access articles from across Canada with one account
Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
Enjoy additional articles per month
Get email updates from your favourite authors
Sign In or Create an Account
They certainly have a right to express their fears about the impact of the 1,000-kilometre project, and the potential loss of their lands, businesses and livelihoods. No argument there. And after the corridor is finally established, they must be compensated. And then the project must go ahead.
Naturally, people are often apprehensive about change because of the disruption it entails, and high-speed rail through hayfields and cornfields in rural communities is the kind of change that makes people hyper-anxious. The protests are understandable.
But if individual or local interests were allowed to stand in the way of the national interest, there will never be progress anywhere, as the not-in-my-backyard syndrome takes root everywhere.
Think of Ottawa, the town that became the capital. It was once a rural backwater, and we would never have had the beautiful city we have today if residents at the time could refuse to give up their lands for the transformation. The many suburbs that surround the city — from Kanata and Stittsville to Riverside South and Orleans, sit on what was once farmland. There would be no suburbs if the landowners had veto powers to stop the development. Progress demands that for something new or better to materialize, something else must give way. This happens all the time. That’s how HSR must be viewed.
Work on the first leg between Ottawa and Montreal is expected to begin by 2029, and public consultations have already begun, with many people along the potential corridor, including Quebec, lining up to express their opposition, as is their right. Some see HSR as a game-changer for travellers and the country, but this does not mean that the concerns of those who believe the project poses an existential threat to their way of life, must be ignored.
Vankleek Hill beekeepers Russell Gibbs and his wife Andrea Glenn believe the family business will be destroyed, and years of toil and sweat come to nothing. Glenn says the damage will be so devastating, she is forming a pressure group to demand the whole idea be abandoned. Their concerns are real, but the demands are unreasonable. This is not a Via Rail improvement project that can just be abandoned. It is a nation-defining undertaking that comes with enormous benefits and national pride.
Why these Eastern Ontario beekeepers dread the high-speed rail megaproject
Ottawa's new high-speed rail project isn't life-changing | Opinion
Advertisement 1Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.document.addEventListener(`DOMContentLoaded`,function(){let template=document.getElementById(`oop-ad-template`);if(template&&!template.dataset.adInjected){let clone=template.content.cloneNode(!0);template.replaceWith(clone),template.parentElement&&(template.parentElement.dataset.adInjected=`true`)}});
Opponents are focusing on their individual interests, which they are entitled to. Yes, some agribusinesses may be lost, and communities cut through. Some folks, such as beekeepers, would face significant losses. Decades of toil may be wasted, but new opportunities could emerge. What’s important is that those who face losses must not be left hanging. Even though it has the power to expropriate, the federal government must ensure that those whose lands may be needed for the project, are adequately compensated.
Then, the show must go on.
The key thing about HSR is to make sure the project is economically feasible and would not become a waste. We all remember what happened to the Pickering Airport project, which was never built after massive property expropriations. The Spadina Expressway project in Toronto never saw the light of day after similar expropriations. And then there was Montreal’s Mirabel Airport. Thousands of acres were expropriated for the airport, which opened in 1975, but never reached its full potential. It was decommissioned in 2004 and the building was demolished in 2014. There is a cautionary tale here for HSR planners.
Natural Resources Canada joins list of departments tracking public servants' in-office presence Public Service
Natural Resources Canada joins list of departments tracking public servants' in-office presence
More space needed to accommodate four-day return-to-office, government analysis finds Public Service
More space needed to accommodate four-day return-to-office, government analysis finds
Advertisement 2Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.document.addEventListener(`DOMContentLoaded`,function(){let template=document.getElementById(`oop-ad-template`);if(template&&!template.dataset.adInjected){let clone=template.content.cloneNode(!0);template.replaceWith(clone),template.parentElement&&(template.parentElement.dataset.adInjected=`true`)}});
Cuts at Global Affairs Canada marks an 'end of Pearson's dream,' report says Public Service
Cuts at Global Affairs Canada marks an 'end of Pearson's dream,' report says
Discounted fare snafu hits OC Transpo community pass holders News
Discounted fare snafu hits OC Transpo community pass holders
Should public servants apply for early retirement incentives or volunteer to be laid off? Public Service
Should public servants apply for early retirement incentives or volunteer to be laid off?
In Ottawa especially, electric rail conjures up images of the city’s troubled transit system, and it is crucial that the engineering of the all-electric HSR be sound enough to not become a larger version of Ottawa’s LRT.
If Canadians can be assured that HSR will be feasible, affordable, professionally engineered and work efficiently, then I say full-speed ahead, no matter what the local interest is.
Mohammed Adam is an Ottawa journalist and commentator. Reach him at nylamiles48@gmail.com
Share this Story : Ottawa Citizen Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.