Joint Statement: Mayors of Kingston and South Frontenac, and Save South Frontenac

Our communities share more than a border; we are integrated through health care, schools, parks, workplaces, businesses, farms, environmental recreation, and more. Decisions about major infrastructure will shape our region for generations, and that’s why we are coming together with one message on the Alto rail project: 

Build it along the 401 corridor and add a stop in Kingston. 

If the federal government is going ahead with this $60-90 billion project, it must be realistic and focused on minimizing impacts to property owners, agricultural lands, natural heritage systems, and rural communities. This is not just about infrastructure. It is about people, common sense, sustainability, and protecting what makes our region unique.

South Frontenac and the townships surrounding Kingston are home to families who have farmed for generations, small businesses that rely on tourism and recreation, and are a part of the health of our region. A new rail corridor cutting through untouched rural land and sensitive landscapes will permanently change that character and divide communities.

So, what are we saying?

1. Align the route to the 401 corridor
   First, aligning the rail corridor alongside Highway 401 uses existing transportation infrastructure, minimizing destruction and fragmentation of farmland, wetlands, and communities. South Frontenac’s landscape includes nationally significant natural heritage features, including the UNESCO Frontenac Arch Biosphere, prime agricultural lands, and fragile ecosystems that must be protected. Running high-speed rail through rural areas will disrupt communities whose livelihoods depend on farming, tourism and stewardship of the environment.
   
   
2. Make a stop in Kingston
   Second, Kingston is the economic, health care, innovation and education hub of Southeastern Ontario. A Kingston stop connects the region’s major institutions, businesses, health care organizations and residents to fast, reliable rail service between Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. This would drive economic growth, attract investment, strengthen our tourism sector, and improve mobility, benefits shared across Southeastern Ontario. A Kingston station ensures this project delivers real benefits to our region rather than simply passing through our communities without benefit.
   
   
3. Listen to public feedback
   Public feedback in this area has been strong and consistent. The southern route as presented is not supported and raises many concerns including the impact to the environment, creating land-locked agricultural parcels with no access, creating dead end roads and concerns over the land expropriation process.  

Well-planned infrastructure balances national goals with local responsibility. Developing high-speed rail along the Highway 401 corridor and adding a Kingston stop achieves those goals: it advances Canada’s transportation future while protecting and respecting rural landscapes and maximizing national economic opportunity.

This message is rooted in collaboration - urban and rural municipalities, community organizations, residents, and local businesses all deserve a voice in the decisions that will shape our future.

We support innovation and modern transportation, in a way that protects the environment, prioritizes communities, and delivers real economic benefits. Together, we are calling on the federal government to consider an alternative to the proposed southern route by aligning with the 401 corridor and adding a stop in Kingston.