Indigenous Engagement

The Government of Canada and the Alto Team are committed to creating and sustaining constructive dialogue and nation-to-nation relationships with Indigenous Peoples.

Our commitment is grounded in the principles of engaging early, meaningfully and in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We are committed to reconciliation.

The participation of Indigenous Peoples is essential to the success of the Alto project. We are committed to fulfilling the Crown’s duty to consult through meaningful engagement with Indigenous Peoples throughout the project. We will collaborate with Indigenous Peoples to build strong relationships and create mutually beneficial socio-economic development opportunities.

As a complement to this work, the Government of Canada intends to select a private developer partner who prioritizes and values meaningful relationships with Indigenous Peoples.

A woman smiling as she plays with a baby on her back

A Key Pillar of the Project

Supporting the Government of Canada’s commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples is one of the seven key outcomes prioritized by the Toronto-Québec City rapid train project. Engaging Indigenous communities and organizations is at the heart of this initiative, providing a unique opportunity to collaborate on a project of significant scale. Their involvement is essential for identifying sustainable opportunities together and thereby strengthening reconciliation.

An Opportunity to Advance Reconciliation

We are committed to a collaborative approach that creates socio-economic development opportunities beneficial to both Indigenous Peoples and all Canadians. This 1,000 km network will provide greater mobility between communities and major urban centres, whether for work, study, or healthcare.

A woman and child laughing while sitting on a couch together. The woman types on a laptop while the child is drawing on paper.

Traveling through Montréal, a Mohawk resident from the Kahnawà:ke community can quickly reach Ottawa daily for work or study.

A person standing in the foreground, smiling at the camera, while out of focus people are standing and walking in the background.

A Wendat living in Wendake will be able to commute to Montreal or Trois-Rivières for work or study while having the option to visit family every week.

A happy young mother plays and has fun with her little son in the sun on a warm spring or summer day. The concept of a happy family, motherhood. Mother and child walk

Members of the Atikamekw community in Manawan or Wemotaci will be able to make a same-day return trip to Montréal from Trois-Rivières for healthcare.

A woman holds a smiling toddler in her arms with her nose pressed against the toddler’s cheek.

With access from Trois-Rivières, members of the Abenaki and Atikamekw communities can travel to Québec or Montréal for work or study without being far from home and family.

A man smiles at the camera while standing in front of a hedge.

An Algonquin Anishinaabeg resident in the Pikwàkanagàn or Kitigan Zibi communities will experience significantly reduced travel times to Montréal or Toronto from Ottawa.

Constructive Dialogue and Active Consultation to Build Lasting Relationships

Our strategic objectives to establish solid, lasting relationships with Indigenous communities and organizations revolve around the following commitments:

Building effective and meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities, organizations and institutions, as well as other project collaborators.
Fulfilling the constitutional duty to consult and, where appropriate, accommodate Indigenous Peoples through the impact assessment process, with the aim of securing free, prior, and informed consent.
Contributing to improved socio-economic benefits for Indigenous Peoples and all Canadians.
Ensuring economic participation by collaboratively developing proposals that enable Indigenous communities to participate economically in the project, generating their own revenues.