I will be happy to do so, Mr. Chair. That said, I was referring to the motion, which begins as follows:
That the committee undertake a study into the connection between the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and Alto […].
I was in the process of describing the Alto company to you. I was talking about the high-speed train and explaining what a high-speed train is. There is a lot of misinformation circulating. There is misinformation everywhere. My colleagues in the opposition should know that some information is not always accurate. I am talking about the train. I am simply trying to update the information regarding the train.
The motion continues as follows: “and the minister's claims that […]”. We read the motion earlier.
The motion proposed by our colleague Michael Barrett is about the train. What I'm saying is that it will pass through my district. The line will start in Ottawa, cross the Ottawa River, and return to Mirabel. It will pass through my riding and through Laval, and it will go to Montreal. I feel very well positioned to talk to you about this and explain what it will mean for us, since people are talking to me about it. High-speed rail is a positive thing; people want it, but there is still some concern. We and Alto are here to listen and understand what people think about this whole project. People will want to take the high-speed train, but we need to make sure we've consulted people properly, provided the right answers, listened, and taken into account what local residents tell us. That's what we're doing.
Earlier, we were talking about the route and the 10 kilometres under study, but in the end, the line will be 60 metres wide. A lot of misinformation is circulating everywhere. You surely have some great ideas, but sometimes what circulates on social media isn't entirely accurate. So it's important to know that the right-of-way will be 60 metres wide, and that the goal is to cause as few problems as possible for the landowners. There will be ways to do this, and it will be worked out. We met with the Union des producteurs agricoles to make sure we were really listening to their concerns and what they wanted. As I said, I'm here to listen to people.
I'll continue talking about the train. I haven't given any examples yet. In Spain, 30% of high-speed train users are people who didn't travel before. That means people who have never taken the train are potential high-speed train users.
It must be said that here, when we want to take the train, we don't have a fast and consistently reliable service. I believe cars are more reliable. When you take your car to go somewhere, you know how long it will take. It takes six hours between Montreal and Toronto. However, taking the train results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, it's safe, and you have time to do other things on the train. You can therefore use your time more wisely.
By the way, there is community support. Discussions with provincial governments have contributed to the development of this initiative. Ontario and Quebec support this project. The Ottawa City Council has passed a motion strongly supporting this project. It unanimously adopted a motion calling for the implementation of this high-speed rail system. Just imagine if Montreal supported the project. It would certainly help, because people could live in Trois-Rivières and work in Montreal. According to estimates, the trip would take 30 or 40 minutes. People could stay in Trois-Rivières and visit their families in Montreal easily and quickly. The same goes for Toronto. The mayor also supports this initiative. High-speed rail will make travel between Toronto and other cities easier.
I'm not telling you anything new when I say that the majority of Canadians live within 100 kilometres of the southern border, specifically between Quebec City and Toronto. These are the people we want to serve. Of course, we also want to serve the people in the surrounding areas. People will be encouraged to use it.
As for the business community, the high-speed train will enable faster travel, more jobs and a stronger economy. As the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has said, this is exactly the kind of ambitious investment Canada needs.
We are encouraged by the government's plan to introduce legislation that would accelerate the development of the Alto high-speed rail project, which will provide a vital link between Quebec City, Toronto and the cities in between.
Can you imagine how easy it will be to get to Quebec City, no matter what the weather is like? You can go to Quebec City on the weekend, and it will take you 90 minutes. The round trip will be safe and pleasant.
I think I'm the only one who's had the chance to sit in Quebec City. In fact, Mr. Thériault, who's online, has also sat in Quebec City. Instead of taking Highway 40 in the snow and spending three hours on a dangerous road, it would take 90 minutes by train. I could have studied my documents and prepared myself.
Of course, right now I'm in Boisbriand, in the riding of Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. To get here, I have to drive two hours on Highway 50. Are there people here who have ever driven on Highway 50? Personally, I find this highway very dangerous, especially in winter. The provincial government supports the Alto project. It must know that Highway 50 is a dangerous road. This train would help everyone, and all those who want to come work here. Beyond work, it would also help people visit cities.
The president and CEO of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce also supports the project. As I mentioned earlier, this is a high-speed rail project that will serve the most heavily populated corridor, between Toronto and Quebec City. It's like a global business hub attracting new investment.
There are surely some among us who have had the chance to try high-speed trains in Europe. We go to Europe, we come back, and we wonder why we don't have that here in Canada. We've been talking about this for a long time in the various caucuses. We've long wanted a great infrastructure like this, precisely to mobilize people and attract investment. We want something we can be proud of.
You know that Canada is a great tourist destination. High-speed rail will allow people to travel between Canada's major cities and visit all the tourist attractions they have to offer. That is my view. The Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, which represents tourism in Ottawa, considers the Alto project a unique opportunity. How long has it been since we've undertaken a project of this magnitude? Yes, we have the train, the Trans-Canada Highway, and the Trans-Canada Trail, which is accessible by bike across Canada. We have those things, but the investment in high-speed rail is an investment that will benefit the construction sector. Canadians and Quebeckers will work on the project. Plus, we have steel, aluminum, and all the minerals. We have everything we need right here. We're going to have a modern train.
This is a project that will increase workforce mobility. For my part, I'm lucky that it's happening here. As I told you, the line will pass through my riding. To get from the Outaouais to Quebec City, you have to go north of the Ottawa River and through my riding.
It is important to listen to people and their concerns. People support the project. In fact, 76% of Quebeckers support it.
In summary, this project will increase workforce mobility while removing barriers to domestic trade, diversifying markets, boosting productivity and supporting our climate goals. That is very important.
Indeed, every time we fly, it takes a tremendous amount of energy to get the plane in the air and bring it back down. However, taking the train takes almost the same amount of time. When we fly, we have to get there early and go through security, so it ends up taking about the same amount of time when you factor all that in. Plus, the train will emit fewer greenhouse gases. That is what we want for future generations. We must stop climate change. High-speed rail is one way to do that. By investing in high-speed rail, we will help mitigate climate change.
Ensuring that Peterborough is a stop on the high-speed rail line has been a priority for the local Chamber of Commerce. High-speed rail is an essential way to connect communities to the rest of the province.
Currently, cities are submitting information and briefs. They too would like to have stations.
That said, when carrying out a project like this, we must still consider that if there are too many stops, travel times between major cities will be reduced. We need to keep that in mind. This is an important opportunity that will benefit Canadian workers and industries.
I know that my colleague Mr. Thériault is listening to us, and I also know that one of his colleagues, Mr. Alexis Deschênes, member of Parliament for Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, said he was in favour of this project. I was glad to hear that, because I've heard different things. We're in the middle of a by-election today in the riding of Terrebonne, and people have said that what's happening is appalling and that we've scared the people of Terrebonne by talking about the high-speed train. That is shameful, and it is misinformation. They have been fearmongering, and people are asking questions. I'll go back to what I was saying at the beginning: There will be consultations on the route, among other things. We must not scare people. Mr. Deschênes said he was in favour of the project.
Here is a quote from the former member for Trois-Rivières, Mr. René Villemure, who was a member of the Bloc Québécois:
Today's announcement is in itself excellent news that aligns with a greener and more modern vision of transportation.
He added:
[…] it is not only a tremendous time saver for users, but also a valuable infrastructure asset for Laval and Trois-Rivières […]
The train would stop in Trois-Rivières, and people would be connected.
Personally, I have family in Trois-Rivières. Being able to visit them quickly, without taking my car, I find that appealing. Plus, it's safe.
Mr. Xavier Barsalou‑Duval, a member of Parliament, said:
[…] we will remain vigilant in the face of cost overruns, which can sometimes be astronomical for projects of this magnitude.
He did not say he was against the project; he said we would remain vigilant.
This legislation reduces the risk of cost overruns by cutting down on administrative red tape. That is well said.
I return once again to Mr. Villemure. He said:
When you care about a project, you put in the necessary energy to make it happen, and right now, that's not what I see. Quebeckers and Mauritians must give up on the idea of a train in the foreseeable future.
It takes a long time to build a high-speed train, after all. As I said, we're still in the consultation phase. We don't need obstruction.
This legislative measure comes from Mr. Barsalou-Duval, who stated in 2024 that he didn't feel there was any sense of urgency. He also encouraged the government to build a high-speed train. Shouldn't we be focusing on high-speed rail, which, in addition to saving time, would encourage more people to switch from cars to trains?
This brings us back to the issue of greenhouse gas emissions. It could help and increase the use of high-speed rail.
There are also the Conservatives. I'm going to share another quote, and I'll ask you to identify who said it.
Here is the quote:
People in my region are tired of waiting decades for this project to become a reality. When will the government decide to get these projects off the ground […]?
The person who said that is Mr. Jamie Schmale, the member for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes. He's happy.
I have no quotes from the New Democratic Party, since there are no NDP members on the committee.
Who said that high-speed rail in Canada would be a very good thing? It was the only NDP member from Quebec, Mr. Alexandre Boulerice, who represents Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie. Mr. Boulerice has gained a great deal of experience since 2011; he has learned a lot. He uses his judgment, and he believes it is a good thing.
Who said this was a truly exciting project that meets the needs of Canadians? That person also said that Canada should have had high-speed rail a long time ago and that we are talking here about projects of national interest or national scope. Once again, it was Mr. Alexandre Boulerice who said that.
I could go on and on about the Alto project. We need to be visionary, invest in our workers, and invest in our industries—particularly the steel and aluminum sectors—to ensure we have a project that will usher Canada into a new era.
I could go on about this for a long time, if you'd like, but I think I'll yield the floor to my colleague.