EDITORIAL: On the horns of a unicorn dilemma

Is Alto a nation-builder or a waste of money?

Published Jun 24, 2026  •  Last updated 9 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Canadian Transportation Minister Steve MacKinnon speaks about the Alto high-speed rail project on June 22, 2026, in Kingston, Ont. Photo by Elliot Ferguson /Postmedia Network

For decades, the vision of a high-speed rail link between southern Ontario and Quebec City has taken on all the characteristics of herding unicorns. It consumes vast amounts of taxpayer money, then disappears into the mists of time.

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The much-ballyhooed Alto link between Toronto and Quebec City is the latest incarnation of this mythical creature. Alto has been designated one of 15 “nation-building” projects by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Major Projects Office, despite vigorous opposition not just to the costs, but to the routes and viability of the project.

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According to the government’s website, the link would cover 1,000 km of dedicated electrified track from Toronto to Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City. It claims the project will create 51,000 jobs, increase gross domestic product by up to 1.1% per year and serve 43 million passengers annually.

Alto estimates the full price of the project to be between $60-$90 billion. Apart from the eye-watering costs, there are objections to what some regard as the high-handed manner in which land may be expropriated.

The federal government’s Bill C-15, which received Royal Assent in March, made amendments to the High-Speed Rail Act, specifically to speed up construction of Alto. Under the new law, the government has no obligation to negotiate a friendly purchase agreement before acquiring land. It also abolishes public hearings for property owners — many of them farmers — who want to contest expropriation and gives Alto the right of first refusal when property becomes available for sale. A property owner with a notice from Alto is obliged to send their purchase order to Alto before any sale. Alto then has 60 days to either buy or reject the land.

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In March, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called Alto a “ridiculous pie in the sky Liberal spending project” and “a boondoggle.” He called the expropriation plan a “Liberal land grab.”

Minister of Transport Steve MacKinnon responded, saying the project is a nation-builder.

“The Conservatives, as usual, think small. Turning away from nation-building investments is the wrong choice and one Canadians reject at a time when we need to build and grow,” he posted on X.

Or perhaps Conservatives aren’t living in a land of make-believe and understand that herding fantastic beasts is a waste of time — and money.

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