OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney is defending the government’s high-speed rail project to connect Toronto and Quebec City, which is drawing increasing opposition.

Much of that comes from communities where land will be expropriated for the construction, but Carney says the project will require about 10 metres of land for the route, and people will be compensated.

He says the project will directly create a “huge” number of jobs and provide a significant boost to the economy over time.

Last week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said the government should cancel the proposed rail line, and there has been a growing backlash to the project among rural residents in Ontario and Quebec.

Construction of the first phase linking Montreal and Ottawa is set to kick off in 2029 or 2030, and the full project is estimated to cost between $60 billion and $90 billion.

Carney also says Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is following government ethics rules in recusing himself from the project.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2026.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press