Lac-Mégantic marks 10th anniversary of rail disaster that killed 47 people 

LAC-MEGANTIC, Que. – The community of Lac-Mégantic, Que., gathered for a commemorative mass on Thursday to mark the 10-year anniversary of the rail disaster that killed 47 people and destroyed parts of the town centre.

Federal and provincial politicians attended the ceremony at the Sainte-Agnes church, promising that a long-awaited rail bypass would be built to divert trains carrying dangerous goods through centre of the 6,000-person town.

Speaking to reporters outside the church, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau honoured the strength and resilience of Lac-Megantic’s people, and recognized that it’s taken longer than hoped to build the bypass.

“I made myself and the community a commitment that we would end the trains coming through this community…We’re hoping to start construction this fall,” he said.

“The strength, the courage, the resilience of the community of Lac-Megantic and the need to move forward with more healing and a better future is a top of mind for me,” he added.

Inside the church, a slide show displayed photos, one by one, of all the victims as the choir sang. In his homily, Rev. Steve Lemay alluded to the need for action.

“A decade has passed since the tragic events, but they unfortunately do not belong entirely to the past for many,” he said. “Today we can, we must, ask ourselves whether we have done everything to offer the people of this region the context needed so they can at last look after their hearts and find peace.”

“The lesson of resilience and humanity that we learned here ten years ago, which I learned personally, I don’t think we will ever have an experience like that again,” said Quebec’s Deputy Premier and Transport Minister, Geneviève Guilbault.

Following the service, Trudeau and Quebec Premier François Legault laid bouquets of flowers at the foot of a memorial outside the church.

“Of course we remember,” Legault said. “Today, we will remember what happened 10 years ago.”

Legault spoke to reporters before the mass, urging people to keep hope.

“I know that it’s tough, still tough, for many people, but life has to continue, and we have to try to find good moments,” he said.

Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra also attended the ceremony, and he promised that the railway bypass would be built.

“The community here, I understand, will never fully heal until the bypass is built, until they stop seeing the trains run through the heart of Lac-Mégantic, and that’s why we’re committed to it,” he told reporters.

An employee at the tourist information center walks past a display detailing the history of the train derailment on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 in Lac Megantic, Que. July 6th will mark the tenth anniversary when a freight-train loaded with crude oil rolled unmanned into the downtown core and exploded in the middle of the night killing 47 people. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Photos of the victims are seen during a slideshow during a commemorative mass to pay tribute to the 47 lives lost on the tenth anniversary of the 2013 rail disaster in Lac Megantic, Que. Thursday, July 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Photos of the victims are seen during a slide show during a commemorative mass to pay tribute to the 47 lives lost on the tenth anniversary of the 2013 rail disaster in Lac Megantic, Que. Thursday, July 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Hours earlier, a stream of flickering lights illuminated the darkness of Lac-Mégantic as citizens marched to commemorate the anniversary. A silent march began slightly before 1:14 a.m., marking the moment an unattended train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded in the heart of town on July 6, 2013.

People donned star-shaped LED lights in memory of the victims as the mayor led a march that departed from the church and made its way down the former main street that was flattened in the disaster, with a pause at a memorial built at the spot where the train struck.

The derailment and fire destroyed much of the downtown core, forced about 2,000 people to evacuate their homes and spilled some six million litres of crude oil into the environment. The disaster happened when the brakes failed on a train parked in nearby Nantes and it barrelled down the slope into the town. While a number of investigations, court cases, reports and regulatory changes have followed, many challenges remain.

The town says it wants to keep the focus of this week’s events on remembering the victims, comforting the survivors and highlighting the progress that has been made. The early-morning march included a walk up the new main street, featuring newly built shops, as a way to highlight the town’s reconstruction.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, centre, and Quebec Rremier Francois Legault, right, carry flowers to place on a memorial following a commemorative mass to pay tribute to the 47 lives lost on the tenth anniversary of the 2013 rail disaster in Lac Megantic, Que. on Thursday, July 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

A road sign indicates the distance to Lac Megantic in Nantes, Que. on Thursday, June 22, 2023. July 6th will mark the tenth anniversary and commemoration of the 47 victims of an oil-filled train derailment which exploded in Lac-Megantic, a town of 6,000.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2023.