It has now been 10 years since the town of Lac-Mégantic was shaken by the derailment of a train that exploded in the middle of its town centre. An unprecedented tragedy, which claimed the lives of 47 people and forever changed the lives of hundreds of others.
At the time, I was a minister in the government of Pauline Marois, from where I was able to witness the irreproachable management of this crisis by two women of heart: Mesdames Marois and Colette Roy-Laroche. Ten years later, more than ever, I want to highlight their leadership in these tragic events. They were truly role models. But more broadly, I especially hope that we collectively rejoice, as Quebecers, in the resilience shown by the people of Mégantic, without losing sight of the incomprehension and anger that remain, even a decade later.
Today, the city can be seen rising from its ashes thanks to the community that supported and rose together. After several years of population decline, the region managed to reverse the trend in 2021 and is now growing. We must salute the leadership of the MRC, which has implemented numerous programs to attract families and people of all ages.
The reconstruction is certainly still in progress, but we see a real festive atmosphere returning to downtown Lac-Mégantic. Several modern buildings have been built, bringing together shops and housing. The new downtown includes community projects such as the Concerto building, which houses a children’s playground, a CPE, a meeting place for community organizations and affordable housing. Here we have all the signs of a beautiful community that has rolled up its sleeves and picked itself up.
I am also happy to learn that important points of psychological services have been developed in the region. There was not only the infrastructures to rebuild, but also our world! Moreover, we can never say it enough, but we must underline the work of the first responders on the morning of the tragedy, many of whom were volunteer firefighters from the region who responded to the call quickly. And of course, of all those who continue to this day to contribute, in their own way, to the reconstruction of the city. To bring it back to life.
We must not forget that despite this revival, there remains a feeling of anger and incomprehension in the population, particularly with regard to rail safety, which remains a challenge where little progress has been made despite the accident. There are still plenty of trains like the one that caused the disaster every day.
Allow me to quote recent words from the lady who was at the center of decisions for her community, Ms.me Roy-Laroche: “I’m getting angry, it’s about rail safety. Everyone told us: “You have to know how to learn from the tragedy of Lac-Mégantic.” But 10 years later, with the demonstration that is made in the documentary [Lac-Mégantic. Ceci n’est pas un accident, de Philippe Falardeau], we realize that there is very little improvement in terms of regulations, monitoring, inspections and investigations. The railway companies do it their way. What is important is more the economy and the money. »
Thus, 10 years later, too much remains to be done in this area. The bypass is still not unanimous. There is still a lot of anger surrounding the 42 expropriations and, more importantly, the way the federal government handled the situation. The owners’ lawyers will also file a request for an injunction in the coming days.
Some issues must be settled to give a real sense of justice and security to the population of Lac-Mégantic; we have a duty to get there as quickly as possible. Until then, we can all once again underline the remarkable courage of the people of Mégantic, who have shown us that it is possible to recover from all situations, even the worst.