Rural politicians, groups worry about effect of Kingston's Alto NDA

Rural residents skeptical of high-speed rail project call for transparency as Crown corporation signs confidentiality agreement with Kingston.

KINGSTON — Municipal politicians and community groups around the Kingston area are calling for the city to be open about any discussions it has with Alto. On Friday, Kingston and the Crown corporation developing a high-speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City signed a non-disclosure agreement that is to govern talks between the two. Alto is considering the addition of a Kingston station to the route, something the city has been pushing for since the project’s study corridor was announced in January.

In an open letter to Kingston city councillors, Rideau Lakes Township Coun. Paula Banks asked that the city make public the studies, map and reports it used to lobby Alto and the federal government. “Because any corridor serving Kingston would necessarily pass through neighbouring municipalities, Rideau Lakes and other affected communities have a direct interest in understanding the work undertaken by Kingston and the information provided to Alto and the federal government,” wrote Banks, the councillor for Bastard and South Burgess Ward.

Rideau Lakes Township, she wrote, passed two motions calling for “greater clarity, transparency and meaningful consultation regarding Kingston-Alto.” “We have also joined other affected municipalities in asking that neighbouring communities be fully informed before decisions are made,” she wrote. “I am seeking clarification regarding Kingston’s work in support of a Kingston stop.”

On the opposite side of Kingston, the Tyendinaga Township Landowners Coalition also called for municipal councillors not to support NDAs. “A publicly funded project should never be hiding behind secrets. No community official should be signing one without transparency to their residents,” the group’s post stated.

If municipalities are to sign the agreements, it should happen after they are deliberated in open council and approved only after a supporting motion. The coalition is to submit a request to Tyendinaga Township council that would require any NDA to be openly discussed by councillors before an agreement is signed. In Kingston’s case, the agreement was worked out by the municipality’s lawyers through the delegated authority bylaw that empowers senior staff with the ability to take action on behalf of the city.

elferguson@postmedia.com