Finance Committee on Feb. 2nd, 2026

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

We have laid the foundations for very co-operative relationships with both provinces and the municipalities all along the corridor. Obviously, consultations have been held and will continue to be held with relevant stakeholders, including the municipalities along the corridor. We are very fortunate we've had the co-operation of the other levels of government, and we hope it will continue.

[Carlos Leitão, Liberal, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Thank you very much. I hope so too.

I get the feeling that the two provinces, along with the municipalities between Quebec City and Toronto, have long been waiting for a project like this. This is really the beginning of a critical phase, and things are going to move quickly.

Obviously, we want to make sure that the project is completed in a reasonable time frame. That is paramount. If progress is delayed, if the plan is to start in four years but things end up taking much longer, the price tag will go up. We've seen that happen before.

In order to achieve this goal collectively and to ensure the project's completion within a reasonable time frame, the government opted to align its legislation with existing legislation in Quebec and in Ontario. Were both governments supportive of that? Were they pleased with the approach?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

We received excellent advice from both governments. We did indeed draw on the principles they had set out. I just want to reiterate the fact that we aren't reinventing the wheel here. We are acquiring the same tools those governments have, precisely to carry out a major project.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Thank you, Mr. Leitão.

We now go to Mr. Garon for six minutes.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you for being with us today, Minister. We are very appreciative.

I want you to know that the Bloc Québécois is not against the project. We are not against the rail project. We think such a project may be necessary, but we have concerns about the government and Alto's approach. We have a job as parliamentarians, and that is to shed light on the issue. We want to make sure that the rights of our citizens are respected.

The case law and current state of the law already confer enormous expropriation powers on the government. Let us not forget the tragedy involving the Mirabel airport. You said in the House today that it was just a 60-metre wide corridor, but in 1969, despite needing just three acres, the government took 97,000.

Setting aside all partisan affiliations, I, as an MP, have to tell you something, Minister. If you haven't spent a significant amount of time with the people who were scarred by those events, you can't understand their pain. I detected a bit of that in the House today, and I'd like to believe it was unintentional, Minister.

A few days ago, Alto released a proposed corridor that runs through Mirabel, among other places. As I understand it, very few of the mayors concerned were contacted. The mayor of Mirabel found out from me. I know that a number of mayors in the area learned about it from my Facebook page. Members of Parliament were not informed, except for Liberal members. Alto says that reaching out to people was your job. Do you agree with Alto?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

I have here a list of 10 interactions with just the municipality of Mirabel.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

We know that closed-door meetings took place with public servants, Minister. I was the one who broke the news, one Friday afternoon, to the mayor of Mirabel about the corridor running through her municipality.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Like the mayors of all the other cities along the corridor, the mayor of Mirabel was—

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Minister, was it your job or Alto's to do that? The people at Alto are saying it's your job to reach out, not theirs.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Alto has a formal consultation process, which is under way.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Do you take responsibility for that? Was it your job?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

No.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Thank you.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

It's the company that was commissioned to carry out the consultations.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

It's fine, Minister. You answered the question. Time is a precious commodity. Don't be like Minister Champagne.

You're saying—

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

The work was commissioned—

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

The answer is no.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

You agree that—

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

You answered no, Minister. It's fine. I believe you.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

—we have a company here, which is responsible for carrying out consultations.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

You said you copied the law that came out of Quebec City. You said that in the House today. Under that law, though, once the first expropriation notices go out, people are entitled, at the end of the process, to apply to the Superior Court to obtain fair market value for their land. We did some research and found that the Superior Court has dealt with many such cases.

Under this bill, you are giving yourself, as the minister, the personal power of making the final decision regarding land value, on the basis of common sense.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

The decision can be appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

What you're telling people, then, is that they can leave it in the Federal Court of Appeal's hands. Great. Thank you.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

It's the same for the Superior Court of Quebec.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Who asked that Bill C-15 take rights away from citizens? Was it Alto, or was it you?