Why did I receive a property access request?
Alto teams need access to a variety of public and private sites to conduct field studies. The sites were selected to represent different environments (e.g., rural, urban and suburban) and take into account several factors, including the quality of the data to be collected, ease of access and the safety of the staff conducting field surveys.
Alto seeks to work with owners to access private properties where data is to be collected.
Permission to enter request process
Permission to enter does not mean property acquisition
If you receive a request for permission to enter your property for field studies, this does not necessarily mean that the train will run near your property or that it will need to be acquired as part of the project.
The sites identified for field studies do not necessarily correspond to the project’s final route, which has not yet been defined.
Any potential property acquisition requirements will be determined once the final route has been established.
Field studies and property access requests
Alto is using rigorous scientific data and in-depth knowledge of the land to build a high-speed rail network of nearly 1,000 km. Our teams have been conducting field studies since 2020 at various locations within the study corridor between Québec City and Toronto to ensure a thorough understanding of local conditions and to inform planning, engineering, and environmental assessment work.
Made up of biologists, engineers, environmental specialists and other experts, teams from Alto and its private partner Cadence conduct various types of data collection. These activities are carried out in accordance with recognized methods and in accordance with regulatory requirements.
Field studies are essential to establish the environment’s initial state prior to the start of the project, anticipate potential impacts, and identify measures to avoid, minimize, or compensate for adverse effects, while maximizing benefits.
Alto’s commitment: respect, transparency and collaboration
Clear communication
You will receive an information package and an Alto representative will guide you through the process. You will receive prior notice of every visit, as well as its purpose and duration. Our team is available to answer any questions you may have before, during and after the studies.
Fair compensation
Once the permission to enter agreement is signed, Alto will provide financial compensation to owners for their collaboration. In addition, in the event that any part of the property is damaged during our data collection activities, it will be restored to a condition substantially similar to that which existed prior to those activities.
Respect for your property
Alto will always notify owners in writing at least 48 hours before experts visit their property.
Safety and professionalism
Our experts are trained and identified, and consistently comply with the terms and conditions agreed upon with owners, as well as applicable safety protocols—including biosecurity.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Alto generally establishes initial contact with property owners using a door hanger, followed by the mailing of an information package regarding the request for permission to enter their property.
Owners are invited to contact an Alto representative to discuss the permission to enter agreement, that is, a contractual agreement that sets out the terms and conditions governing access to private property by the teams conducting the field studies.
The sites identified for field studies represent a range of environments (e.g., rural, urban and suburban) and do not indicate the project’s final route, which has not yet been defined.
Those sites were also selected based on several factors, including the quality of the data to be collected, ease of access, and the safety of the staff conducting the field surveys.
No. The properties identified for field studies were selected to represent a range of environments (e.g., rural, urban and suburban) and do not indicate the project’s final route, which has not yet been defined.
The selection of your property does not necessarily mean that the train will run near your property or that it will need to be acquired as part of the project.
Granting access to your property for field studies and the agreement that governs that access, does not commit the property owner to any land acquisition process with Alto. It does not mean that the railway will necessarily pass near your property, nor that your land will need to be acquired as part of the project.
Properties selected for field studies are chosen to represent a diversity of environments (rural, urban, and suburban) and do not correspond to the project’s final alignment, which has not yet been defined.
Because no final route has been selected at this stage, it is not possible to determine which properties may eventually be concerned. Once the final alignment is established, Alto will, where applicable, contact the relevant property owners directly
Yes. The permission to enter agreement sets out the terms and conditions, as well as the financial compensation payable following the owner’s signature.
Yes, you may refuse. While Alto is counting on property owners’ cooperation to conduct field studies, granting access is entirely voluntary.
The field study schedule varies depending on the type of study being conducted. Alto will contact owners to provide them the information they need and agree on terms of access.
You will be notified at least 48 hours before the Alto team visits your property via your chosen means of communication.
Field studies will generally be conducted between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, with some exceptions.
Field studies are generally non or minimally invasive activities, including the observation and documentation of wildlife and vegetation, soil sampling, noise level measurements, and the analysis of waterways and wetlands.
We will inform you of the types of studies to be conducted on your property before they begin.
Generally, a team of two or three field experts accesses the property and walks through different areas with light equipment or hand-held devices. They document their observations, take measurements and photographs, which may include the use of drones, and collect soil samples using light machinery.
In the event of damage to your property as a result of our activities, Alto will restore the site to a condition comparable to its original state.
Depending on the nature and requirements of the field studies, experts will generally need to be on site for a few hours at a time, and the frequency of their visits may vary. Alto representatives will travel only when necessary and will always notify you at least 48 hours in advance to minimize disruptions.
If you are not the owner of the property that was visited by an Alto representative or that is mentioned in the information package, please contact [email protected]. Alto will forward the request to the property owner.
If a property is required for the project, the owner will be contacted once the final route has been determined.
Alto will contact the owners directly to initiate a fair and collaborative negotiation process.
Any questions?
Do you have questions about a request for permission to enter your property?
For any other questions, please visit our Contact us page.