Issue No. 4 – August 2022

The latest information to keep you up to date on the Lac-Mégantic rail bypass project.

A word from Transport Canada

Transport Canada is continuing to focus all its efforts on completing the Lac-Mégantic rail bypass project. This fourth issue of the Newsletter is intended to inform you about current and upcoming activities, including the public consultations on hydrology. We hope to see many of you there!

Public consultations

Transport Canada will be holding public consultations on the project’s potential impacts on hydrology in relation to the hydrogeological report findings, the environmental update and the mitigation measures that will be put in place to limit the impacts of the project.

The public consultation period will run from August 29 to September 30, 2022. The reports and a discussion guide will be available online as of August 29 at: www.canada.ca/consultation-lac-megantic-bypass.

In-person consultation sessions will be held during the week of September 12 at the Lac-Mégantic Sports Centre. A summary of the information will be presented using maps and visual aids (open house format), during an in-room presentation followed by a question period.

September 13, 2022 – In-person consultation for property owners impacted by the project

Citizens with private wells within the construction zone of influence, who are directly impacted by the project, are encouraged to meet with experts from Transport Canada and CP to ask questions and discuss their concerns on the evening of September 13, 2022. The invitation to participate, as well as the details of the event, will be sent directly to these citizens.

September 14, 2022 – In-person consultation for the entire community

On September 14, experts will be available during the day to discuss the hydrology report and mitigation measures that will be put in place to limit project impacts. Two public sessions are planned, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. All are welcome to attend and hear the presentation on the study results and mitigation measures. This will be followed by a question-and-answer period with Transport Canada and CP.

September 16, 2022 – Virtual consultation

A virtual consultation will also be held on September 16. This session will include the same presentation as provided at the in-person consultations. This will be followed by a question-and-answer period with Transport Canada and CP. The purpose of the virtual session is to provide an additional consultation opportunity for those who are unable to attend the in-person sessions on September 13 and 14. Individuals will be asked to submit their questions and comments in writing, which will be recorded in a consultation report that will be sent to the Canadian Transportation Agency.

Recent developments

Land acquisition

On August 8, the Minister of Transport announced in a news release that some of the affected property owners have requested more time for the negotiation period to continue constructive exchanges. The Government of Canada is committed to doing things properly and taking the necessary time to ensure that the land acquisition process for the construction of the future bypass proceeds smoothly. For this reason, an extension has been granted to the negotiations with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) until November 4, 2022.

Since October 2021, PSPC has contacted all 43 property owners to submit offers. Numerous meetings have been held with these individuals or their legal representatives, 17 of which were held at the Service Canada office.

In the last two months, Public Services and Procurement Canada has made over 65 phone calls to follow up, discuss and answer questions from the property owners involved in the land acquisition process for the project, and from the experts mandated by the property owners. More than 26 virtual meetings were also held, and over 105 email exchanges took place with the property owners and their agents to discuss the purchase offers.

Since May 16, 2022, PSPC has been on site at the Lac-Mégantic office on a regular basis to address the questions and concerns of the property owners involved in the acquisition process.

In the field

Archaeological digs

Additional archaeological digs conducted in the early summer of 2022 are now complete. Over 56 small artifacts, mostly made of quartz, were found. These artifacts are between 8,000 and 10,000 years old and may be associated with the Gulf of Maine Archaic period. We would like to thank all the property owners who made this archaeological work possible. This helps to improve scientific knowledge in this area.

Information

For more information

For more information on the work in progress, we encourage you to visit the website dedicated to the project: https://tc.canada.ca/en/rail-transportation/lac-megantic-rail-bypass.

If you have any comments, questions, concerns or complaints, contact us at TC.InfoLacMegantic.TC@tc.gc.ca. We will be happy to assist you.