US EditionConservative Senate leader criticizes $330K rebrand of high-speed rail project
- On Wednesday, Conservative Senator Leo Housakos condemned the $330,000 expenditure by Alto, a Crown corporation, for marketing services related to rebranding its rapid rail initiative linking Toronto and Quebec City.
- This rebranding followed the 2021 announcement of a high-frequency rail plan that faced widespread public disinterest, prompting a pivot and name change from VIA-HFR to Alto.
- Alto engaged the Quebec-based agency Cossette Communication Inc. To create a marketing strategy highlighting its renewed emphasis on faster service, which accompanied the introduction of a new name and logo.
- Invoices reveal that Cossette Communication Inc. Charged more than $330,000 for services rendered from late 2023 through early 2025, a cost that Senator Housakos described as reckless and indicative of wasteful Liberal government spending.
- Government Senate representative Marc Gold and Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized fiscal responsibility and national interest in projects, suggesting a focus on accountability moving forward.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Conservative Senator Denounces Alto Crown Corporation's Spending - Canada French
MONTREAL — The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate states that it was "unresponsible" for the federal Crown company Alto to spend $330,000 on a brand re-engineering project. Conservative Senator Leo Housakos argues that the decision to pay an external marketing agency to design a new name and brand image for the Via Rail subsidiary is another example of waste on the part of the Liberal government. Alto is a state-owned company responsible for…
Conservative Senate leader criticizes $330K rebrand of high-speed rail project – 105.9 The Region
MONTREAL — The Senate opposition leader says it was “irresponsible” for a federal Crown corporation to spend $330,000 on a rebranding exercise. Conservative Sen. Leo Housakos says the decision to pay an outside marketing firm to help design a new name and brand for a Via Rail subsidiary was another example of wasteful spending by the Liberal government. Housakos was referring to Alto, a Crown corporation responsible for building a high speed rai…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources lean Left
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
Ownership
To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage
