Lac-Mégantic: lessons still to be learned 12 years later, say residents

A man touches a stone monument in front of Ste-Agnes Church following a memorial service for the 47 victims of an oil-laden train derailment that occurred a year earlier in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec. (Paul Chiasson / The Canadian Press)

Twelve years after the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, little progress has been made in improving rail safety around the town, according to the spokesperson for the Coalition of Citizens and Organizations Committed to Rail Safety in Lac-Mégantic.

On Sunday morning, commemorations were held in the municipality that was devastated by a train derailment on July 6, 2013, claiming the lives of 47 people.

During the ceremony, municipal councillors laid flowers at the official memorial site, while members of the Coalition placed flowers directly on the tracks where the accident occurred.

According to Robert Bellefleur, spokesperson for the Coalition, residents of Lac-Mégantic have yet to truly begin the healing process.

In addition to long delays in the construction of a long-promised railway bypass, Bellefleur said that the growing presence of "monster trains" passing through the area has caused increasing concern.

“Before, trains averaged around 80 cars,” Bellefleur said. “Now they have more than 200 cars, stretch over 15,000 feet in length, and are powered by large locomotives that often weigh more than 150 tons.”

“These tracks were originally built for much lighter, shorter trains, which means the infrastructure is now under major additional strain,” he added.

Federal Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland issued a statement paying tribute to the victims of the tragedy, reaffirming that the bypass remains one of her priorities.

But Bellefleur was skeptical, noting, “This is the sixth transport minister to make the same promise. Meanwhile, the years keep going by.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 6, 2025.