.png)
Environmental Group Warns Proposed High-speed Rail Corridor Could Impact Protected Oak Ridges Moraine
- Robert Brown
- 20 hours ago
- 2 min read
PORT PERRY, ON – April 20, 2026
For Immediate Release
Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM) Coalition is calling on the ALTO Crown corporation to route its proposed high-speed rail line outside the Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM) and associated Greenbelt lands.
The proposed ALTO study area currently encompasses approximately 28,000 hectares of the ORM and is largely situated within areas designated as Natural Core and Natural Linkage under the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (ORMCP). These designations represent some of the ORM’s most sensitive natural heritage systems and are subject to stringent policy measures intended to maintain provincially significant groundwater recharge areas, headwater systems, prime agricultural lands, and ecological connectivity.
“The ORM was protected to safeguard drinking water, maintain ecological stability, and conserve some of the most productive agricultural lands in south-central Ontario. The ORM is not vacant land, and it's not an infrastructure corridor,” said Robert Brown, Co-Chair of STORM Coalition. “Infrastructure planning should work to enhance our natural heritage system, not degrade it.”
STORM has long supported accessible public transit systems that help contain urban sprawl within existing settlement areas, improve mobility for underserved communities, and contribute to provincial and national greenhouse gas reduction targets. However, the benefits of such infrastructure should not come at the expense of rural livelihoods, increased pressure on groundwater systems, or further fragmentation of the natural heritage systems that help mitigate the impacts of climate change.
“Healthy ecosystems are essential infrastructure,” Brown added. “Wetlands, forests, and groundwater recharge areas within the ORM already perform services that are near impossible to restore once degraded.”
While STORM recognizes that the ALTO Crown corporation has a responsibility to consider cost efficiency, routing infrastructure through protected Natural Core and Natural Linkage Areas raises concern that short-term siting efficiencies may be prioritized over long-term public interests. These landscapes were specifically identified for protection because they sustain water resources, agricultural systems, and ecological stability across the region.
STORM is encouraging ALTO and the federal government to consider route alignments that better conform with the policy direction of the ORMCP, including options that:
Consider alternative connections through established infrastructure corridors between Toronto and Kingston
Avoid impacts to Natural Core and Natural Linkage Areas
Retain ecological connectivity across the ORM
Reduce impacts on groundwater recharge areas and headwater systems
Limit the fragmentation of agricultural lands and natural heritage systems
“There are viable routing options that can support national transportation objectives while respecting the policy framework that protects the ORM,” Brown continued. “Careful route selection can reduce ecological risks, avoid further marginalizing rural livelihoods, and help restore public confidence in the planning process.”
STORM Coalition calls on the federal government to uphold the ORMCP in both letter and spirit. Nationally significant infrastructure projects should strengthen, not weaken, the environmental planning frameworks that protect the province’s natural infrastructure.
Responsible infrastructure planning can support both economic development and the long-term protection of the ORM for current and future generations.
Media Contact:
Robert Brown
416-533-1461
About STORM Coalition:
Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM) Coalition is a non-profit organization founded in 1989 dedicated to protecting the ecological integrity, hydrological function, and agricultural viability of the Oak Ridges Moraine. STORM works with communities, researchers, and decision-makers to promote science-based land-use planning that safeguards drinking water, natural heritage systems, and climate resilience across
Comments