High-Speed Rail Could Cross One of Ontario’s Most Important Water Sources

Approximately 28,000 hectares of the Oak Ridges Moraine fall within the ALTO study corridor

An approximate rendering of the ALTO High Speed Rail study area (violet shading) and the Oak Ridges Moraine (outlined in black). *

One of the largest infrastructure projects in Canadian history may soon cross the Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM).

Preliminary analysis indicates that approximately 42.3 kilometres of the ORM fall within the ALTO high-speed rail corridor study area, representing roughly 28,000 hectares and about 15% of the entire Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (ORMCP) area.

Large portions of this study corridor intersect Natural Core and Natural Linkage Areas, including sections of the Ganaraska Forest, which are among the most ecologically and hydrologically important areas within the ORM.

What lies beneath the ORM’s rolling hills and cold-water streams is more than just sand and gravel. It is the groundwater recharge and filtration system that supplies fresh water for millions of Ontarians.

ALTO and the Eastern ORM

High-speed rail is the latest major infrastructure proposal targeting the eastern flank of the Oak Ridges Moraine.

The proposed alignment connecting Toronto and Peterborough would require traversing an area that contains:

• Approximately 42.3 km of the ORM

• An estimated 28,000 hectares within the corridor envelope

• Multiple Natural Core and Natural Linkage Areas

• At least 13 Areas of Natural or Scientific Interest (ANSI)

Identified Areas of Natural or Scientific Interest (ANSIs) within or near the study area include:

• Herbert Downs

• Iroquois Beach

• Enfield Wetlands

• Scugog Marsh

• Long Sault Forest

• Tyrone Valley

• Fleetwood Kames

• Ganaraska Forest Headwaters

• Cavan Creek Headwaters Wetlands

• Omemee Esker South

• Ganaraska Forest West of Carmel

• Cavan Bog

• Jackson Creek Drumlins

An approximate rendering of the ALTO High Speed Rail study area (violet shading) and ANSIs (light blue shading).*

These ANSI areas contain kettle lakes, wetlands, recharge zones, and headwaters that are particularly sensitive to changes in grading, vibration, drainage, and stormwater management.

Why the Route Matters

Infrastructure corridors do more than move people. Infrastructure corridors shape growth patterns for decades.

When major transportation investments are routed through protected conservation areas, they create pressure for additional servicing infrastructure, stimulate land speculation, and legitimize boundary expansions that extend far beyond the initial project footprint.

For the Oak Ridges Moraine — a landscape specifically protected to prevent the cumulative impacts of fragmentation caused by development — the siting of major infrastructure is not simply an engineering question. It is a watershed planning question that must consider operational impacts across a multi-generational time frame.

An approximate rendering of the ALTO High Speed Rail study area (violet shading) and Highly Vulnerable Aquifers (light red shading). *

A Call for Smart Growth

Planning decisions affecting the Oak Ridges Moraine should reflect the policy framework already established to protect its hydrological and ecological systems:

1. Use existing transportation and utility corridors wherever possible Routing the project alongside existing highways, rail lines, or infrastructure can reduce the need to disturb new areas of the ORM and help limit long-term environmental impacts.

   
   

2. Avoid the most sensitive parts of the Oak Ridges Moraine Where possible, routes should be located outside Natural Core and Natural Linkage Areas, which protect the ORM’s most important water systems.

   
   

3. Fully study impacts to water before selecting a final route Planning should carefully assess how construction and operation could affect groundwater, wetlands, streams, and headwaters that supply drinking water to millions of Ontarians.

   
   

4. Protect the movement of wildlife, water, and farming activity across the landscape Corridor design should allow wildlife to move safely, maintain natural water flow, and ensure farmers can continue to access and manage their fields without unnecessary barriers.

   
   

Share Your Perspective

Which approach to the proposed high-speed rail project do you think best protects the Oak Ridges Moraine?

• Follow existing transportation corridors
• Avoid sensitive ORM lands
• Only proceed with strong water protections
• Reconsider - the impacts are too high

See All Options

You can vote for more than one answer.

As planning for the rail corridor continues, community knowledge can help ensure that decisions reflect the long-term protection of the Oak Ridges Moraine’s water, forests, and farmlands.

We encourage readers to participate in the poll above. If you would like to provide additional context, local knowledge, or perspectives that are not captured in the poll, we welcome further input.

You can contribute by leaving a comment below or by emailing us at contact@stormcoalition.com.

Public participation helps ensure that infrastructure decisions reflect both the ecological significance of the ORM and the communities that depend on it.

Learn More About the Oak Ridges Moraine

STORM provides accessible information and mapping tools to help residents better understand the landscapes, water systems, and planning policies that shape the Oak Ridges Moraine.

Explore additional resources:

• About the ORM– background on the geology, ecology, and hydrology of the Moraine

• ORM protection history – an overview of the scientific research, public advocacy, and policy decisions that led to the creation of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan

• Mapping tools and spatial data – interactive maps showing environmental features, planning designations, and areas of concern

• About STORM– learn more about our work supporting informed, responsible growth across ORM communities

*Mapping is currently approximate. In the absence of publicly available GIS layers for the ALTO study corridor, available map images were aligned using identifiable geographic features such as lakes and rivers. Boundaries should be interpreted as illustrative only.