Address to the Senate of Canada | Sénat du Canada’s Transport and Communications Committee

On December 9, Centre for Cities Director and Windsor Law professor Dr. Anneke Smit was invited to address the Senate of Canada | Sénat du Canada’s Transport and Communications Committee to provide expert input on proposed accelerated land acquisition (expropriation) provisions for Canada’s new high-speed rail line.

Dr. Smit expressed strong support for high-speed rail and the need to prioritize and accelerate timelines to deliver this generational infrastructure efficiently for Canadians. She also emphasized that transparency and meaningful consultation are foundational to this process, alongside creative and careful approaches to land acquisition that balance the public interest in delivering high-speed rail with the diverse interests of affected landowners across agricultural, suburban, and urban contexts. 

Concerns were also raised about the currently planned route from Quebec City to Toronto and the opportunities beyond it. While the initial segment of the ALTO high-speed rail network is advancing and consultation on alignment is underway with mandates to deliver the project, Dr. Smit underscored that stronger connectivity across the Canada–U.S. The addition of a high-speed rail network to Windsor remains a part of the long-term vision for the project, however, it could be a decade or more before it is completed.

With generational investments being made in cross-border rail at the Detroit–Windsor border, this is a critical moment for southwest Ontario leaders to continue advocating for a Windsor extension as ALTO continues route planning and engagement. Watch the full Senate address by clicking the link in our bio. 

Watch the full Senate address here.