High-speed rail connecting Ontario and Quebec excites tourism association

Ontario’s largest tourism association has released an official call to action in support of the High Frequency Rail (HFR) project that could connect Ontario and Quebec. 

The HFR, an incentive echoing the decades-long pip-dream of having a high-speed rail system that connects cities like Toronto and Montreal, has been in the works since 2016 and was initially implemented on behalf of VIA Rail. 

According to their website, the project is currently reviewing potential development candidates, which is where today’s statement on behalf of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) comes into play. 

The organization released a statement urging Canadian stakeholders, government officials and business leaders to invest in the HFR project and make it an established reality — specifically in this case — to help bolster tourism between Ontario and Quebec. 

“As the demand for efficient, reliable transportation, and investment in transportation infrastructure, continues to rise, the Toronto-Québec City Rapid Train project presents itself as a transformative solution,” read the statement on behalf of TIAO.

According to the official HFR project outline, the 1,000 km electrified railway would service stops at Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Trois-Rivières, Laval and Quebec City.

“A transportation link like this, which speeds up and adds more capacity for those trips between any of these key hubs, is a significant opportunity,” Andrew Siegwart, president and CEO of TIAO, told INsauga.com. 

Beyond the baseline of connecting major cities, Siegwart firmly believes that if constructed, the HFR will help stimulate tourism-based economies in more rural sections of Ontario, citing that many of the stops are close to the province’s heavily frequented cottage country. 

Outside of the benefits the rail would provide Ontario, Siegwart further indicated that its shared connection with Quebec would be a key asset, despite the province being a primary source of competition on paper. 

“It’s not just within the province, or an additional connection to the eastern part of Ontario, it also stretches into Quebec, which is a neighbour and key trading partner. When looking at all of these things together, it starts to show momentum,” says Siegwart. 

The statement released today on behalf of the TIAO was also a joint effort with the Quebec Tourism Industry Alliance, as CEO Geneviève Cantin stated, “By joining our efforts, we speak with one voice to demand the realization of a major project that will unite the largest Canadian provinces for the benefit of economic and tourism development.” 

Siegwart indicated that this joint statement signals that Ontario and Quebec tourism groups will likely work together more in the future to make initiatives like the HFR a reality. 

“We have a lot more in common than one would think, even though in some instances we are competitors for international visitors or domestic tourists. However — in an infrastructure capacity — we have to work together,” says Siegwart.