Meeting 20 · February 2, 2026 · 17:17–19:17 (2h)
45-13 witnesses · 261 interventions · 15,183 words
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance studied the proposed high-speed rail network under Bill C-15, part of the budget implementation act. Appearing were Vincent Robitaille, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of Programs at Transport Canada; Martin Imbleau, President and CEO of VIA HFR – VIA TGF Inc. (Alto); and Félix Turgeon, Chief Legal Officer of VIA HFR – VIA TGF Inc.
Vincent Robitaille explained that the bill only amends specific sections of the Expropriation Act, leaving other protections intact, including prior notice before expropriation and the right to an independent appraisal, with appraisal costs included in compensation. He clarified that the minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada, not Alto, would conduct expropriations, and that the principle of highest and best use applies to land valuation.
Martin Imbleau stated that Alto is a true high-speed rail service spanning nearly 1,000 kilometres from Toronto to Quebec City, with a first phase connecting Ottawa to Montreal and construction starting in 2029. He emphasized that voluntary agreements with landowners are the preferred approach, but the bill’s expropriation tools—such as rights of first refusal and work prohibitions—are needed to prevent speculation and artificial value increases, and that any landowner who wants a physical meeting will get one. He estimated the project could cost $60 billion to $90 billion as a working assumption, with a credible budget only possible after detailed engineering, and that the project aims to be operationally self-sustaining, attracting 25 million passengers by mid-century and contributing $25 billion annually to GDP. He disagreed with the suggestion that the bill removes the right to object, arguing that the right to challenge compensation remains, and noted that lessons from failed projects like California’s high-speed rail—starting construction without a defined land acquisition framework—are being applied.
Félix Turgeon added that under the bill, a landowner who opposes expropriation can inform the minister, who must provide reasons if proceeding, after which the process shifts to compensation, which remains governed by general legislation unchanged by Bill C-15.
The committee also debated procedural matters, including points of order and interruptions, but no motions or votes were recorded in the transcript.
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Vincent Robitaille
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs, Department of Transport
Opening remarks
In the bill, what you have is only the sections that will change. Is that right? All of the other sections of the Expropriation Act will remain the same. The thing about prior notice before expropriation starts will remain, as will the notice of expropriation after.
Martin Imbleau
President and Chief Executive Officer, VIA HFR – VIA TGF Inc.
Opening remarks
Madam Chair, thank you for giving us the opportunity to discuss Alto and the implications of Bill C-15. Alto is a true high-speed rail service, like the kind we experience in Europe. It will span nearly 1,000 kilometres of fully electrified, dedicated passenger tracks linking Toronto to Quebec City. It's fast, frequent and reliable. Alto will cut travel times in half and strengthen economic productivity across Canada's busiest corridor. Last February, the government made three foundational decisions. It chose a high-speed rail option; it selected Cadence, a consortium with strong Canadian roots and international expertise, as Alto's private partner; and it provided funding to move the project forward. In September, the government committed to a four-year construction start. In December, Minister MacKinnon and I announced that its first phase will connect Ottawa to Montreal, and construction would start in 2029. In 2025, we shifted from the “why” to demonstrating the “how”. Two weeks ago, Alto began a corridor-wide public consultation process that includes open houses, virtual sessions and round tables. The first phase of the consultation process is built on best practices:…
Félix Turgeon
Chief Legal Officer, VIA HFR – VIA TGF Inc.
Opening remarks
What I'd like to add is that once the owner receives the notice, their first recourse is to inform the minister of their opposition. Once the owner has indicated their opposition to the minister, if the minister still decides to proceed with the expropriation, and the owner requests it, the minister has to write to the owner and set out the various reasons for their decision. Then the process continues to move forward, and it becomes a question of money, or the value of the acquisition. If the parties don't agree on the amount of the transaction, everything comes back to the general legislation. Bill C-15 doesn't change the process set out in the general legislation.