Alto open house well-attended in South Frontenac

The rail company held two sessions on Wednesday on the proposed high-speed rail line.

There was certainly no lack of interest from residents of Kingston and South Frontenac on Alto's plans to put a high-speed rail line in the area.

The company hosted two open houses Wednesday at the Storrington Lions Club near Inverary on the proposed 1,000 km route between Toronto and Quebec City that would cut through a section of South Frontenac.

Around 40 people were seen lined up outside the building for the first session at 11 am.

South Frontenac wasn't on the initial list of locations for the open houses.

A representative of Alto's Stakeholder Relations Katie Feenan says the response from their virtual sessions compelled them to hold one here.

Once inside, visitors were shown seven kiosks each covering a different area such as environmental impact, economic benefits, safety and security, and more. 

Feenan says there were also staff from Alto on hand to answer their questions.

The first public open houses took place in Ottawa and Montreal back in January. It has since stopped in Toronto, Quebec City, Laval, and other areas along the proposed route.

Alto's Chief of Communication and Engagement Officer Pierre-Yves Boivin says the turnout to those sessions have been great and they have received a lot of feedback about the project.

Boivin along with Peter Paz, Senior Director, Government and Public Relations for Ontario, were at Kingston City Council Tuesday night for a delegation.

Boivin says it was important to speak to representatives of the city about the project.

There are currently no plans to hold a public open house in Kingston even though the City has asked Alto to consider putting a station stop there.

We approached a number of people who attended the open house. None were willing to go on record but did say the sessions were very informative and staff were helpful in responding to their questions.

Story by Ken Hashizume