It is referendum day for the citizens of Frontenac, in the Mégantic region, who will have to decide on the possibility of establishing a railway bypass. If it is desired by many since the rail tragedy of 2013, the project nevertheless arouses its share of discontent, some elected officials and citizens opposing it.
“Whether you are in favor or against the railway bypass on the territory of Frontenac; or even if you are undecided, it is very important to assert your opinion”, hammered the municipality in a press release on Sunday, calling on citizens to read the “various documents concerning the holding of this referendum” on its website.
The mayor of Frontenac, Gaby Gendron, affirms that approximately 1300 of the approximately 1800 residents of the municipality are able to exercise their right to vote. They will be able to do so between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. this Sunday.
Known for his reservations about the bypass project, Mr. Gendron had notably expressed fear in recent years that the land would be “split in two”. However, his administration had finally accepted that the project be carried out, under certain conditions.
A poll conducted by citizens in March, which revealed that 90% of Frontenac residents oppose the project in its current form, however, forced the municipal administration to reconsider its position. The elected officials then said they feared the “impacts on the groundwater table and the quality of the water in the wells which would result from the construction of the bypass”. A referendum was announced soon after.
It must be said that for several months now, the railway bypass has been losing its social acceptability. In April, The gallery reported that the Coalition of Citizens and Organizations Committed to Rail Safety in Lac-Mégantic fears that the Canadian Pacific (CP) intends to make this new route an “intercontinental transport highway for hazardous materials”.
Construction “as soon as possible”
More recently, in January, the federal Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, went to Lac-Mégantic to discuss the bypass with the mayors of the municipalities concerned, the local MP and citizens. He then declared that he wanted to prioritize the start of construction “as soon as possible”, by planning measures to “mitigate” the environmental impacts as much as possible.
After the meeting, the mayor of Lac-Mégantic, Julie Morin, declared that the minister had shown her his will to continue with the planned route, “with a wish for construction in the fall”.
According to Mme Morin, the fact “that there has not yet been a shovelful of ground in this project” as the 10e anniversary of the tragedy is a “shame”.
“It’s the hope that diminishes with each passing year. It’s been a count of five times today that the train whistled past through the heart of downtown in the exact same spot where it derailed. I can tell you that this is not an easy situation. There has also been a breach of trust with Transport Canada and with the railway companies since July 6, 2013, so that adds a layer of complexity, ”explained the mayor in particular.
On July 6, 2013, 47 people lost their lives in the worst rail tragedy in Canadian history. A train filled with crude oil had just rolled down a slope upstream from the municipality before derailing in the heart of downtown Lac-Mégantic, triggering explosions and a huge fire.
With The Canadian Press