The population of the municipality of Frontenac, in Estrie, rejected by referendum the proposal for a railway bypass of Lac-Mégantic to pass through its territory, according to what Radio-Canada reports.
Early Monday morning, the results of the referendum held the day before had not yet been published. Radio-Canada stated that citizens answered 92.5% no to the question: “Do you approve of the project for the new railway bypass on the territory of Frontenac? »
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra traveled to the region on January 19 to meet the mayors of the municipalities affected by the 12-kilometre bypass, those of Lac-Mégantic, Nantes and Frontenac, as well than citizens.
In the wake of this meeting, the Nantes city council withdrew its support for the bypass. That of Frontenac should normally take into account the will of the population expressed during the referendum on Sunday.
A few days ago, the expropriation of the owners of land necessary for the construction of the bypass began. The number of owners to be expropriated was not specified.
The City of Lac-Mégantic reached a mutual agreement settlement with the federal government for 20 lands it owned.
Minister Alghabra points out that the purpose of the bypass project is to allow trains to be withdrawn from downtown Lac-Mégantic. Ten years ago next July, a train loaded with crude oil rolled down a slope upstream from the city before derailing in downtown Lac-Mégantic, triggering explosions and a huge fire that killed 47 people.
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