The Alto high-speed rail project is both the most supported and the most contested project on the federal government’s list of major projects, according to a recent poll.
Probe Research surveyed 1,300 Canadians earlier this month and found that 61 per cent of respondents supported the project, while 19 per cent opposed it to some extent.
It is not possible to determine the margin of error for this survey as it was conducted online.
This controversial project is expected to cost between $60 billion and $90 billion. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called on Ottawa to abandon it, calling it a “mess.”
The project is also facing strong opposition from residents of communities along the proposed corridor, who fear losing their homes and farms to make way for the rail corridor.
Conservative MP Scott Reid, who represents the riding of Lanark—Frontenac, west of Ottawa, warned earlier this month that the project would be “the largest expropriation in Canadian history.”
The survey found that the rail project was also the major project most Canadians were most familiar with, with 72 per cent of respondents saying they had heard of it.
Construction of the first phase of the 1000-kilometre rail line, linking Montreal to Ottawa, is expected to begin in 2029 or 2030.
The poll also mentions that a majority of Canadians support the Churchill Harbour expansion project, with 55 per cent in favour and only 9 per cent against.
According to the survey, 65% of respondents believe that this project makes economic sense for Canada.
The survey also found that the majority of respondents (24 per cent) identified the proposed LNG export terminal in British Columbia as the project that would have the greatest economic impact.
The Canadian Research and Insights Council, an industry organization that promotes survey standards, says it’s not possible to assign a margin of error to online surveys because they don’t randomly sample the population.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
