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Or sign-in if you have an account.Opponents of the Alto high-speed rail project in Quebec and Ontario meet on the Alexandra Bridge before marching toward a rally on Parliament Hill on Wednesday June 10, 2026 in Ottawa, Ont. Photo by Elliot Ferguson /The Kingston Whig-StandardWhen Mark Carney and his ministers talk about nation-building projects they are always at pains to talk about respecting Indigenous rights and ensuring there is a “dialogue.” Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorBut “non-Indigenous people from Turtle Island” — to quote one woke archeologist — are finding a different reality. Farmers, businesses and homes in the path of the proposed Alto high-speed rail project from Toronto to Quebec City are facing forced expropriations and a truncated appeal process before a single track has been laid. By amending the Expropriations Act, the prime minister has created a two-tier consultation process, one where the rights of the Indigenous community are respected and another one where the rights of other people are trampled over. This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againWhen Carney talked about nation-building projects last September, he said that to build quickly meant “getting out of the way.” He was referring to government regulations, but he could easily have been speaking to the more than 100 communities in the path of the Alto high-speed rail. “For too long the construction of major infrastructure in Canada has been stalled by arduous, inefficient approval processes, uncertainty, red tape, duplication and complicated review processes,” said Carney. The prime minister tried to reduce those problems with C-15, a controversial, massive omnibus bill that also stripped people of some of their property rights. C-15 amended the Expropriation Act making it faster and easier for the federal government to take people’s homes, lands and farms if needed for the rail project. Before the amendments, the federal government would first have to try to negotiate with landowners for their property. If those negotiations failed the government could then try expropriation. This has now been removed. If the Carney Liberals decide they want the land for high-speed rail they can take it. The Alto website says property acquisition will be built around “negotiated agreements, and clear communication with property owners.” It adds, “our process is designed to be structured, transparent, and responsive to individual circumstances.” “The compensation offer will be informed by independent professional appraisals that reflect the market value of the property at the time of negotiation,” says Alto. Which is all very well, but nobody, including the Liberals, is under any illusion that forced expropriations will not be necessary and won’t go ahead. “Transport Canada anticipates that expropriation will be an essential tool to acquire the necessary lands,” reads a government notice about the effects of C-15. It used to be the case that if a railway company wanted to expropriate land, they needed the consent of the Governor General. Not any longer. All it takes now is a ministerial sign off. The most brazen act by the Liberals was to undermine people’s right to appeal. Previously, affected people had the right to a public appeal hearing. This has been eliminated entirely. Now, those wishing to appeal can lodge their objections with the minister of transport — the same person committed to pushing through the Liberals pet project. Good luck getting a favorable result there. The Montreal Economic Institute, a public policy think tank, was scathing about the changes. “Ottawa has thrown out the normal safeguards that protect homeowners from abusive expropriation,” said Gabriel Giguère, senior policy analyst at the MEI, in a statement. “Under this special system for VIA Rail, Canadians are no longer treated as sellers, but as people to be dispossessed. “Steamrolling property owners is no way to treat Canadians, and trying to bury such an erosion of property rights in an omnibus bill only adds insult to injury. Unfortunately, the fact that Ottawa feels comfortable making such an exception once increases the likelihood that it will do so again.” What’s particularly galling about the high-handedness of the Liberals casually stripping people of their property rights is the way Carney and his ministers go out of their way to ensure Indigenous people and their lands are respected and safeguarded. In his press conference last September, Carney boasted of holding three summits with First Nations, Inuit and Metis about his nation-building ideas. Part of what had to change was building “in true partnership with Indigenous peoples,” he said. He even announced an Indigenous Advisory Council would be consulted on the projects. Last month, when Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon announced the fast-tracking of three nation-building projects, he said it had been done in “partnership” with Indigenous people and their organizations. “Their leadership, their knowledge and their perspectives are essential to the success of these projects,” he said. Meanwhile, Alto has published two consultation reports — one following meetings with the Indigenous community and the other after engaging with the “public.” Alto said 102 meetings were held with 29 Indigenous communities while public consultation involved 26 in-person open houses, 31 roundtables and ten online sessions. There is nothing wrong with consulting Indigenous people and respecting their rights. The Liberals just need to extend that courtesy to everyone else in Canada. Instead, thanks to Liberal legislation, the people in the path of the Alto project are being treated as second-class citizens. National Post Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.