Nature on the Line: Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network Responds to Alto High-Speed Rail Consultations

Lansdowne — The Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network (FABN) has formally submitted feedback on Alto’s proposed high-speed rail (HSR) project between Toronto and Ottawa, and is encouraging residents, landowners, and communities across eastern Ontario to participate in the federal consultation process before it closes on Friday, April 24, 2026.

“We have prepared a technical brief detailing the ecological and cultural values high-speed rail would impact, including species at risk of extinction, natural assets and long-standing community investments in conservation,” says Christine Grossutti, FABN’s Conservation Project Manager. Since UNESCO Biosphere Regions are not regulatory bodies and do not have legal authority over land-use decisions, FABN aims to empower residents to share their own concerns and informed feedback on development projects like Alto’s.

“The impacts on wildlife and ecosystems of a high-speed rail line between Ottawa and Toronto would be felt on a continental scale,” says Katherine Macklem, FABN’s Board Chair. “While we support sustainable transportation initiatives, the resulting reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of a HSR should not be at the expense of intact and connected wetlands and forests, the survival of species at risk of extinction, international recognition for Canada’s responsible stewardship of globally significant ecosystems and the long-term well-being of rural communities.”

The Frontenac Arch is an internationally recognized, UNESCO-designated Biosphere Region due to its unique ecological and cultural significance. It sits within the greater Algonquin to Adirondacks (A2A) corridor, forming a critical north–south migratory route between the Algonquin Highlands and the Adirondack Mountains. With a narrow strip of Precambrian (Canadian) Shield as the foundation, the thousands of lakes, wetlands and islands that make up the Frontenac Arch Biosphere (FAB) Region represent one of the last largely intact linkages of its kind in eastern North America. It is a vital region for wildlife movement, gene flow, and climate adaptation at a continental scale, and it is also within Alto’s study area for the proposed high-speed railway

“The Algonquin to Adirondacks corridor represents one of North America’s most significant wildlife movement pathways, connecting critical habitats across international borders,” says Jessica Lax, Executive Director at the A2A Collaborative. “The Frontenac Arch serves as an essential linkage within this corridor, enabling species to move, adapt, and thrive in response to climate change. Infrastructure decisions that fragment this connectivity don’t just impact local ecosystems—they undermine the integrity of the entire A2A corridor and the long-term viability of wildlife populations that depend on it. We strongly encourage comprehensive environmental assessment that prioritizes corridor preservation and considers cumulative impacts at a landscape scale.”

The FAB Region supports exceptional biodiversity, including 54 species at risk of extinction or extirpation, and multiple nationally recognized Key Biodiversity Areas—sites identified by scientists as critical to the survival of species and ecological processes. However, with only approximately 12% of land within the Region being formally entered into the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), the health of the broader landscape—and the corridors that connect it—is at risk of unsustainable development and irreversible ecosystem damage. FABN, like many other environmental organizations and community stakeholders, is very concerned about the potential negative impact of the proposed high-speed railway bisecting this vital wildlife corridor and direct impacts on conservation efforts within the study area.

One important property within the FAB Region and Alto’s study area is the Queen’s University Biological Station (QUBS). For more than 80 years, QUBS has been dedicated to research, education, public outreach, and conservation across the Frontenac Arch landscape. “Our scientists and students study how connected ecosystems sustain species and communities, and support climate resilience—knowledge that is gained by studying undisturbed terrestrial and aquatic habitats throughout our 3,400-ha of protected property,” says Dr. Shelley Arnott, QUBS Director. “We stand with our regional partners in urging that any major development decisions be guided by sound science and a shared commitment to safeguarding this living laboratory and classroom for future generations.”

In addition to biodiversity, the region’s natural landscapes also support local economies, including tourism, recreation, and agriculture, all of which depend on healthy, functioning ecosystems. The study area overlaps with lands that have been protected through public investment, conservation partnerships, and private land stewardship. Disregarding their protected status now would effectively undo decades of supported efforts that reflect long-standing community commitment to conservation.

FABN acknowledges that while infrastructure development can contribute to climate goals, progress in one area of sustainability should not come at the expense of another. Although investments in lower-carbon transportation are important, leading practice in sustainable development requires a full accounting of environmental impacts and ensuring that reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are not achieved at the expense of forests, wetlands, and species at risk. Thriving ecosystems and strong local economies are interconnected. Long-term economic resilience, including built infrastructure, depends first on ecological health.

“Public engagement matters. Ensuring that local knowledge, environmental considerations, and community perspectives are formally recorded through Alto’s consultation channels, and shared with your local government representatives, is the best way to have your say and inform future decision-making,” says Macklem.

Should the proposed high-speed railway proceed to be built across the FAB Region, one of the last remaining intact forest corridors of eastern North America, it will be essential that environmental assessment and mitigation measures meet the highest possible standards. The potential impacts to core and buffer areas within the Biosphere Region may also have implications for maintaining the UNESCO designation requirements over time.

“There is no substitute landscape for the Frontenac Arch,” says Grossutti. “Its cultural and ecological function cannot be replicated by standard biodiversity offsetting or compensation tactics. It is irreplaceable, and depends on connectivity and collective care at a regional scale.”

Regardless of the outcome of the current high-speed railway proposal, FABN will continue to collaborate with regional partners, Indigenous communities, Conservation Authorities, land trusts, municipalities, and environmental groups on the best ways to conserve and protect the Frontenac Arch and all those who call it home.

The FAB Region overlaps with the unceded territories of the Algonquin and Kanien’kehá:ka Peoples, including areas within the Algonquin land claim. As a UNESCO Biosphere Region, FABN is committed to supporting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the UNDRIP Act, which Canada passed into law in 2021, requiring the government to obtain the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples before adopting and implementing any decision that may affect them.