The expropriation of the owners of land necessary for the construction of the Lac-Mégantic railway bypass has been triggered, Ottawa confirmed Monday evening.
Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said in a statement that a notice of intent to expropriate was posted Monday in the Quebec Land Registry for the parcels of land needed for the project.
It does not specify how many owners will be expropriated.
Initially, 43 owners, whose lots are in the municipalities of Nantes, Lac-Mégantic and Frontenac, in Estrie, were involved in the acquisition process.
Negotiations began in the fall of 2021 and their deadline has been extended three times. Several owners have concluded deeds of sale with Ottawa, including the City of Lac-Mégantic, which reached a settlement by mutual agreement for 20 lots it owned.
“Today, we are at a turning point in the realization of this project. In order for it to materialize as soon as possible, important steps must be taken now, and one of them remains the acquisition of the plots of land necessary for the project. Without these lands, we cannot build the bypass,” said Mr. Alghabra in his statement.
He recalls that he recently asked the Minister of Public Services and Supply, Helena Jaczek, to initiate the expropriation process in order to acquire the land necessary for the construction of the bypass.
It was also Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) that informed the owners by email or telephone of the expropriation notice on Monday.
“I understand that some owners are angry, saddened or anxious about this decision. Believe me, it was not taken lightly. However, we must not forget the objective of this project, which is at the heart of the priorities, that of allowing trains to be withdrawn from downtown Lac-Mégantic,” added the Minister of Transport.
Minister Alghabra traveled there on January 19 to meet with the mayors of the municipalities of Lac-Mégantic, Nantes and Frontenac, in addition to talking with the provincial deputy — François Jacques, of the Coalition avenir Québec — as well as with some citizens.
In the wake of this meeting, the Nantes city council had withdrawn its support for the bypass.
That of Frontenac had already withdrawn it last May and will hold a referendum on the question on Sunday.
The construction of the bypass is the subject of several concerns, particularly regarding environmental impacts and access to drinking water.
Remember that 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.