New public consultations for Lac-Megantic bypass project

Marking 9 years since rail disaster The Quebec town of Lac-Megantic marked nine years since a rail disaster killed 47 people and left the town scarred.

Ottawa has announced a new public consultation on the potential impact on wetlands caused by the Lac-Mégantic bypass project.

Monday evening, federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said the consultation would run from Aug. 29 to Sept. 30.

Three public information sessions are also scheduled for Sept. 13, 14 and 16.

The Lac-Mégantic bypass, with a planned length of 12.5 km, is intended to prevent freight trains from running directly through the municipality's downtown area to avoid another tragedy.

On July 6, 2013, a major fire broke out overnight when a 72-tank train derailed in the heart of the city, claiming 47 lives.

The new route, which would pass further north, has already been recognized as the best option by the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement du Québec (BAPE).

The federal government states it also has the most negligible impact on agricultural land, according to the Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec (CPTAQ).

The public consultations intend to create an in-depth assessment of the project's impacts on groundwater and wetlands.

The federal government has also extended the negotiation period between Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and people who own land in the pathway of the new route until Nov. 4.

Ottawa says the landowners were the ones who asked for an extension.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 9, 2022.