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4w ago

Via Rail Subsidiary Paid $330K to Rebrand Passenger Rail Project as 'Alto'

New records show the Crown corporation contracted Cossette Communication Inc. to shift the project’s image from high-frequency to high-speed ahead of the design phase.

A VIA Rail train is seen on tracks in Dorval, Que., as it heads out of Montreal on Friday, May 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Overview

  • A federal Crown corporation hired Cossette Communication Inc., billing more than $330,000 between October 2023 and January 2025, to develop the Alto brand and logo under the internal code name “Tracks.”
  • The rebranding responded to documented “widespread disinterest” in the original high-frequency corridor announced in July 2021.
  • Alto, unveiled publicly by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in February, aims to cut travel time between Montreal and Toronto to three hours on a proposed 1,000-kilometre network.
  • In February, the government awarded a $3.9-billion, six-year contract to the Cadence consortium—including CDPQ Infra, AtkinsRéalis, SYSTRA Canada, Keolis Canada, Air Canada and SNCF Voyageurs—to design the corridor.
  • Critics warn that prioritizing marketing appeal may overlook infrastructure challenges and that the project could face political pushback over costs and regional benefits.