As Canada moves forward with high-speed rail (HSR) from Quebec City to Toronto and discussions resurface about reviving the long-shelved Toronto-Windsor line, the Ontario government should already be laying the groundwork for another essential HSR corridor: a high-speed rail line connecting Toronto to Northern Ontario.
For too long, Northern Ontario has struggled to attract and retain skilled workers, particularly in healthcare and mining. The region’s remoteness, combined with limited transportation infrastructure, has made it difficult for professionals to consider working there. A true high-speed rail system—traveling at 300 km/h—could be the game-changer the province needs to bridge this divide, making it possible for doctors, engineers, and skilled tradespeople to commute from Southern Ontario in just over an hour to North Bay or Sudbury, or a little over two hours to Sault Ste. Marie or Timmins.
Yet, instead of thinking boldly, Ontario’s leaders are choosing to revive an outdated Ontario Northland train that takes a staggering 12 hours to travel between Toronto and Timmins. This is not a solution for the 21st century. A high-speed rail line could reduce this trip to just 2.5 hours, transforming accessibility and making Northern Ontario a more viable destination for both work and investment.
A Northern Ontario HSR plan should include two key corridors:
- Toronto to Sudbury, with potential expansion to Sault Ste. Marie.
- Toronto to North Bay, with a further extension to Timmins and beyond.
This vision is about more than just transportation; it’s about economic development, regional equality, and unleashing the full potential of Northern Ontario. The federal government has already committed to high-speed rail in the Quebec-Windsor corridor, but Ontario cannot afford to wait for federal leadership. The province must step up with a bold, forward-thinking strategy to revolutionize rail travel.
Ontario has an opportunity to lead. The question is: will our leaders have the vision to seize it?
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