We believe that the Salmon River is precious and loaded with natural riches, and we want to ensure that it will continue to be so in the future.

We are a non-profit organization formed in 2004 made up of volunteers with an elected board of directors. The funding for projects is raised through membership fees, donations, grants, sponsorship and fund raising events. We are people who enjoy the benefits of the ecologically healthy and beautiful watershed of the Salmon River.

Statement of Community Outreach
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Re: The Alto High-Speed Rail Proposal

We at Friends of Salmon River are deeply concerned about the impact of Alto’s proposed High-Speed Rail on our watershed, our environment and our communities. Here is the letter we submitted to the Federal Government and to ALTO.

Friends of Salmon River and the ALTO High Speed Rail Proposal

ALTO is a federal Crown corporation developing a High Speed Rail (HSR) proposal from Toronto to Quebec City. A project to design and construct a 1,000 km,  300 km/hr electrified rail network, fenced along the entire length, and trains running every half hour. It is estimated to cost around 100 billion dollars (that is without cost overruns).

Alto is considering two route options between Peterborough and Ottawa. 

1/ a northern route running roughly along HWY 7

2/ a southern corridor that would run through Stone Mills and South Frontenac.

Friends of the Salmon River considers that High Speed Rail can be a very effective mode of transportation IF designed and done well, but not at the cost of the ecosystem.  A train system that is simply more frequent and reliable would be welcome.

So far in the Proposal: Geotechnical studies have not been done

The Frontenac Arch was not mentioned even though it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Important Bird Area of the Napanee Plain was not mentioned.

The announcement of the proposed Alto High Speed Rail line has caused concern locally and regionally due to:

  • Environmental threats especially in areas of rivers, lakes and wetlands,
  • Fragmentation and disruption of wildlife connectivity,
  • Social and economic impacts such as loss of access to areas by dead-end roads and the expropriation of land.

A newly constructed High Speed Rail would be valuable ONLY IF our watershed and our landscape are well protected and there are no strong impacts on our flora and fauna.

Thus far, Alto has provided very limited information about the design and construction of this rail line. What is urgently needed:         

  • A fleshed-out plan with more route and extensive engineering details
  • Rigorous environmental assessments
  • Fuller and longer public consultation periods.

The biggest concern for the Salmon River watershed is the potential damage to our waterways, and the flora and fauna that it supports. The headwaters of the Salmon provide a myriad of ecological services to the system. Even small disruptions to the interconnected wetland system could cascade downstream, affecting water quality and flow regimes throughout the watershed.

The public needs to know that a project of this massive size must be rigorously planned, with all impacts on the land and water fully evaluated and assessed. This is definitely not the case so far.

There are other alternatives. A Higher Speed Rail line (faster than the current 160 km/hr and less than 300 km/hr) in the 401 corridor with big improvements to service and reliability would provide a valuable boost in transportation in the east-west line.

See the Environmental Impact Assessment of Alto High-Speed Rail Project on the Salmon River Watershed, prepared by Andrew Hyett

Excerpt: The Salmon River watershed sits squarely in the path of both proposed Alto HSR route options through eastern Ontario. Neither route can be considered benign from an environmental perspective. The Northern route threatens to damage the ecological engine of the watershed — the intact Shield forests and wetlands that regulate water flow, support biodiversity, and provide resilience against climate change. The Southern route threatens to compound existing ecological stress in the very areas where restoration has been identified as most urgently needed.

The Salmon River Habitat Strategy’s conclusion in 2005 stated that “appreciation, conservation and restoration of the Salmon River watershed’s natural wealth will ensure that it remains a healthy watershed home for a rich diversity of living things, including people.” Twenty years later, this counsel is more relevant than ever. Any infrastructure project of the scale of Alto HSR must be held to the highest environmental standards, and the Salmon River watershed — with its documented ecological significance, endangered species, and role within the Bay of Quinte remediation framework — deserves nothing less.

Actions you can take:

Participate in the public meetings as they come up.

Become involved in Friends of the Salmon River advocacy and education initiatives

© Friends of the Salmon River 2026 .