Historical Political Barriers

Mark Carney has proposed a 1,000-kilometre high-speed rail line connecting Toronto to Quebec City, with trains reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h. It would be Canada’s first true high-speed rail system. On paper, the idea is appealing. But building it is far from straightforward. 

Host Noor Azrieh, tries to answer the question: how do you build ambitious, nation-shaping infrastructure in a country where the human realities on the ground are so complex?

Host: Noor Azrieh

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)

Guests: Katie Koopman, Lindsay Davidson, Andrew Hyett, Paul Langan, Conservative MP Philip Lawrence

Background reading:

• Canada is getting high-speed rail 
• Alto's CEO answers questions about the high-speed rail project – CBC News
• High-speed rail project connecting Toronto and Quebec City sparks backlash over cost, land use – The Globe and Mail
• Local researchers fill information gap in high-speed rail debate – The Kingston Whig Standard
• Chris Selley: More alarming numbers for Canada's high-speed rail fantasy – National Post

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