All aboard?

Days ago we listened to the deep moaning out of Richmond. People who possess houses and businesses in that city learned a BC court decided they don’t own their land anymore. The Cowichan Nation does.

We told you how this happened. The history behind that ruling. And the fact people are being told the land under their home can be Indigenous-owned, but they still have title to it. They can finance it, live in it and sell it. At least for now. There’s a what-the-hell-happens-next period of 18 months to allow talks between the Cowichan folks and the politicians.

As we mentioned then, it’s a real shame we don’t have the right to own property in Canada. If that were included in the Canadian Constitution, courts would have far less leeway to make such a ruling. Owners would have legal muscle in pushing back against challenges and threats, including expropriation by any level of government.

And that, alas, brings us to the latest budget by Mark Carney.

If you live between Toronto and Quebec City, including Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal or Laval – and can hear a train – then be on guard. Your abode could be swept away in the nation-building frenzy that has gripped our federal government.

Buried in the budget were details of Alto, arguably the most costly public works project in Canadian history (think $50 billion). That will be a high-speed rail corridor between Union Station in the T.O. core and downtown Quebec City, with stops in Peterborough, the nation’s capital, Gare Centrale in Montreal and Gare-du-Palais in Old Quebec.

Construction is being pushed ahead four years to 2029, with almost $4 billion to be spent on the planning process alone. Alto will be created by a consortium of Canadian and French companies and is being supported by a brand new federal corporation – plus a fresh Act of Parliament which will stomp out any lingering sense that Canadians actually own what they believe they own.

It’s called the High-Speed Rail Network Act, and forms part of Bill C-15, “An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025.” The first reading took place in the House of Commons last Tuesday.

You may recall that Justin Trudeau unveiled this mega-train before Katy Perry was a thing. Then it was eight years before a shovel would hit the ground. But Carney has changed up everything, put Alto under the control of his Major Projects Office, allocated big bucks and now is passing legislation that will allow the feds to take anyone’s property that is in the way, without negotiation, and to impose a years-long freeze on any land they might want later. Special rules. No due process.

“Ottawa has thrown out the normal safeguards that protect homeowners from abusive expropriation,” says Gabriel Giguère, of thinktank MEI. “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.”

It’s true. Read the Act.

The Alto legislation guts the existing Expropriation Act in order to hurry-up the project. It removes the obligation of government to negotiate a fair settlement for land that’s being taken. There will be no good-faith purchase offer, which the owner can effectively dispute. “If it decides a property is needed for its project, it can get the Minister of Transport, Steven MacKinnon, to directly issue a notice of expropriation,” says MEI. “It does not need to send an offer, negotiate, or demonstrate that a purchase attempt was made.”

Public hearings can be waived. And the feds’ new Alto corp can order that a piece of land be frozen for up to four years – even without buying it – in case it may  be required later for trainy stuff. In the meantime the owner is barred from changing it in any way, and must only maintain it.

Owners can file an objection (for what it’s worth) and must do so within 30 days. But the government then has two years to respond. “They will be able to take your land, freeze your property, and cancel your sale agreements, all without negotiation,” adds Giguère.

Well, have you heard all those Conservative MPs and their leader stand up for landowners and our eroding property rights? Nope. Silence. They’re still yapping about the industrial carbon tax and trans athletes.

On balance, building a high-speed rail network in Canada it, like mines, ports, reactors and transmission lines, a cool thing. This beautiful, empty, rich land needs to be built out more so we can flip the bird to those imperious Yanks.

But, sheesh, just ask before you take the farm.

About the picture: “This is our 15-year-old Yorkshire-poodle, Jackson,” writes Dan. “When we adopted him five years ago, he needed a few surgeries to correct some nagging health issues. Thankfully, my partner and I read you blog and could face those vet bills head on. He’s in great shape now for an older doggo. How can anyone resist that face? All the treats for the good boy! Keep up the great work.”

To be in touch or send a picture of your beast, email to ‘garth@garth.ca’.

Source: https://www.greaterfool.ca/2025/11/24/all-aboard/