Kingston, Ont., officials cheer Alto high-speed rail announcement, but concerns remain

OTTAWA — The federal environment minister has indicated it’s possible that private, working Alberta ranches could be counted as part of meeting the government’s land-conservation targets, suggesting potential to break the impasse between Ottawa and the province over the federal strategy. Alberta and Ottawa have been divided over Prime Minister Mark Carney’s announced plan in late March to protect at least 1.6-million square kilometres of new lands over the next four years. The target is part of a United Nations-led push to designate 30 per cent of Earth’s land and marine area as...