Ottawa Ontario - Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Soraya Martinez Ferrara, are announcing that the Government of Canada still intends to complete the rail bypass project in 2023.
 
We achieved a number of milestones in recent months which have allowed us to move the project forward, despite many challenges, including those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
To relocate railway operations to the Lake Megantic industrial park, as announced in 2019, we had additional engineering work done.
 
This allowed us to deliver what residents and the mayors of Lake Megantic, Nantes, and Frontenac wanted.
 
The Government of Canada and the rail operator, Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), will start preparing plans and specifications in the coming weeks.
 
Negotiations to acquire the lands will soon begin with the impacted property owners.
 
A virtual information session will be held with them in the near future to answer their questions.
 
The construction phase is expected to begin in spring 2022.
 
We are working with CP to establish a schedule that will allow us to finish the project in 2023.
 
This reconstruction project will continue to be a priority for the Government of Canada until the project is successfully completed.
 
Author unknown.