I regularly find myself surrounded by files and in deep conversation about things I didn’t even know to wonder about before. But representing the student body on matters central to our community’s future requires comfort zone departures.
Travelling to and from Kingston can often be a game of trains, planes, and automobiles. Students go to great lengths to attend Queen’s, and the VIA Rail has been a staple part of the journey. Funnily enough, I’m writing this month’s column on the train, and it was a pleasant surprise that we’re only 30 minutes delayed.
The prospect of fast, reliable travel felt within reach (if you consider a decade close by) when the federal government enlisted Alto to build our country’s first high-speed rail project to run from Québec to Toronto.
Linking cities through high-speed rail will be transformative. For Kingston, it would energize our city’s vitality and support long-term prosperity. For Queen’s, it means stronger regional and interprovincial ties, creating easier movement for students, researchers, and professionals whose work depends on connections. This infrastructure will expand who can access education, employment, and build a life here.
For these reasons, it came as a great disappointment when Kingston wasn’t named a stop along the route.
Instead, Alto brought forward two corridor options (currently in consultation and spanning far wider than the tracks themselves) that would run somewhere near the areas of Frontenac Provincial Park or Sharbot Lake.
These proposals raise serious concerns.
First, if Alto decided to install a stop for passengers north of Kingston, the drive from campus would range from 30 to 100 minutes, which is hardly accessible.
Secondly, and very importantly, the environmental and ecological implications are profound. One proposed corridor even covers the Queen’s University Biological Station.
When I spoke at Kingston City Council on Feb. 17 with the Alto team present, I urged Council to be unequivocal: if high-speed rail is coming to this region, it must come to Kingston, and do so with full respect for the impact on the lands it crosses.
Finally, should there not be a stop in the Kingston region, our community will become further isolated as the VIA Rail inevitably fades out in favour of a dedicated passenger line that moves faster, but not through here.
If you have an opinion on this matter, participate in the Alto engagement process. Send a letter to your member of parliament (provincial and federal). And connect with your Kingston City Councillor.
Infrastructure decisions are often framed as technical. They aren’t. That’s why Alto is running a public consultation, and the city welcomed delegations on the matter. So, have your voice heard.
Our community and its future generations deserve the very best shot at connection.
At your service,
Niki
Tags
Alto, high-speed rail, Kingston, public infrastructure
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