LAC-MÉGANTIC, Quebec — The negotiation period to purchase land for the planned Lac-Mégantic rail bypass has been extended a second time, allowing public consultation on hydrology of the route.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said the negotiation period between landowners and Public Services and Procurement Canada will run through Nov. 4, following the consultation on hydrology from Aug. 29 to Sept. 30. Interested parties will be able to read the reports from hydrological experts as well as mitigation plans, and submit questions to Transport Canada. There will also be three information sessions: In person Sept. 13 (for those directly affected), Sept. 14 (for all) and online Sept. 16 (for all). The in-person sessions will be held at the Centre sportif Mégantic in Lac-Mégantic.
“It is crucial to me, for a matter as important as this, that we take the time to do it right,” Alghabra said in a press release. “Our government is committed to carrying out this project as soon as possible, but we want to do it properly and in a way that respects the community. It is necessary to be responsive to their needs. That is why we are holding this consultation and why we have granted additional time for the negotiations with the affected owners, as requested.”
More information is available here.
The land negotiations, which began in November 2021, previously had their deadline pushed back to Aug. 12, a move which meant the project to relocate Canadian Pacific’s main line would not meet its original target for completion in 2023 [see “Completion of Lac-Mégantic bypass to be delayed,” Trains News Wire, March 28, 2022].
