Issue No. 14 - June 2026

A word from Transport Canada You can see the comments and responses from the Agency’s consultation: https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/consultation/lac-megantic-bypass-railway-consultation

Recent developments

End of the Canadian Transportation Agency’s public consultation

From November 12, 2025, to January 30, 2026, the Canadian Transportation Agency (the Agency) held a consultation on the application for authorization of the Lac-Mégantic Rail Bypass Project (the Project) to gather comments from the public. The railway operator, as the applicant, with the support of Transport Canada, responded to the comments received during the consultation. You can view the comments and responses on the Agency's website: https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/consultation/lac-megantic-bypass-railway-consultation. The Agency is currently preparing its decision.

Key milestones

Groundwater and potable water well monitoring plan

Over the past year, Transport Canada has held several discussions with municipalities regarding the contribution agreement for the implementation of the Groundwater and Potable Water Well Monitoring Plan (the Plan). After engagement with the Municipality of Frontenac and the City of Lac-Mégantic, Transport Canada will assume responsibility for the Plan through a competitive contract awarded following a call for tenders. Transport Canada remains committed to ensuring that every resident has access to a sufficient quantity of drinking water of the same quality as before the work, for consumption and daily activities, during and after the work, until groundwater levels have stabilized. Transport Canada will continue to collaborate with the municipalities throughout the implementation of the Plan.

Notice of railway works and target construction date for the project

In May, a Notice of Railway Works (the Notice) was sent to landowners whose properties are adjacent to the future railway line, to the municipalities of Frontenac, Lac-Mégantic and Nantes, as well as to the ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable du Québec. This notice is required under the Notice of Railway Works Regulations available here: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-91-103/. This was not a public consultation; however, Transport Canada has held one-on-one meetings with recipients receiving the Notice. It was a regulatory process that is separate from the one conducted by the Agency on the application for authorization of the Project.

Construction is currently scheduled to begin no earlier than fall 2026. This timeline is tentative and may be subject to change depending on the Agency’s decision and other regulatory requirements. Construction will not begin until all necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained.

Field visits

As part of the Wetlands Monitoring Plan, Transport Canada, accompanied by the Crown engineer, conducted field visits on February 10 and 11, 2026. During the visits, data was collected from the well points installed on a previous visit.

Several other site visits took place in the spring, notably to monitor surface water and wetland adjacent to the future railway right‑of‑way. Studies on the compensation potential of fish habitats have been conducted in certain watercourses. A drone overflight of the right-of-way also provided an opportunity to observe the vegetation. Notifications were sent in advance to residents affected by these visits. If you have any questions, please contact the project team at the following address: TC.InfoLacMegantic.TC@tc.gc.ca.