Save South Frontenac Not Ready To Hop On The Kingston Alto

As reported in the Frontenac News last month, proposed changes to the Alto Rail route that were announced by Federal Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon at a press conference in Kingston, make it both less likely that the route will go through South Frontenac, and more likely that the rail line will come through southeastern Ontario.

While Save South Frontenac was formed in February in response to a potential Alto route traversing South Frontenac, and that became less likely with the announcement, the group continued to be strongly opposed to the Alto Rail project in its current form.

“Honestly, not much of anything has changed” said Katie Koopman at the start of an interview with the News last week, “our overarching statement has always been ‘No Alto’ and all of the research we have done ourselves and have seen from credible sources, makes it clear that this project is flawed and it is being carried out through a process that is not democratic.”

Save South Frontenac continues to be active and is continuing to work with the partners that it has cultivated over the past five months, including a strong connection to groups in the neighbouring townships of Stone Mills and Rideau Lakes.

The only positive thing Koopman had to say about the potential new route is that it might be “the lesser of four evils” as compared to one coming through South Frontenac, or the two potential northern routes parallel to Highway 7 in Central Frontenac, or parallel to Road 506 in North Frontenac.

Save South Frontenac wasted little time posting an official response to the announcement on their Facebook Page, on June 23, one day later.

While the group said it is “encouraged to see the concerns of residents across Ontario reflected in the next phase of planning” and it is pleased that the “Frontenac Arch Biosphere is being engaged as a stakeholder, it said it is important to note what and what was not, was covered in MacKinnon’s announcement.

“We remain concerned about the potential impacts of high-speed rail, including expropriation, fragmentation of agricultural land, environmental disruption, and the construction of extensive corridor fencing that could affect both local mobility and wildlife movement,” they said.

Although they recognise the new opportunities the announcement could bring for Kingston, “we are steadfast in the belief that the goal should not be to transfer impacts from one community to another, but to identify the option that delivers the greatest public benefit with the least overall harm.

“Our focus, therefore, remains on the broader regional picture, extending beyond South Frontenac, including residents in Mirabel, Quebec, who are already facing land assessments and uncertainty about future property acquisition.”

Katie Koopman said that Save South Frontenac will continue on the same path it has been following. They have officially incorporated as a not for profit and are in the midst of a large silent auction on their Facebook page, which features dozens of products and services offered up by businesses in South Frontenac. The auction is important for fundraising and is also a show of support for the mission of Save South Frontenac from South Frontenacs businesses and residents.

“We are encouraged by the fact that the government is willing to pivot and has listened, but there are serious issues with this project, and until they are addressed, we will keep on working,” said Koopman..