Lake Megantic Quebec - The Government of Canada is committed to supporting Lake Megantic and the surrounding communities, listening to residents, and keeping them informed about the next steps in the completion of the Lake Megantic bypass project.
 
Residents who want information on the project are invited to participate at an open house session organized by Transport Canada today from 14:00 until 21:00 at the Lake Megantic OTJ.
 
Residents will be able to visit kiosks, talk with experts, and ask questions.
 
They can learn about a number of topics, including railway safety, environmental measures, construction activities, the land acquisition processm and more.
 
Representatives from Transport Canada, Canadian Pacific, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and the Canadian Transportation Agency will be on site.
 
The event will be open to members of the public only in order to protect the confidentiality of the discussions.
 
The following is an overview of recent project-related developments that will be shared with the public during the event:
 
In April 2022, plans and specifications for the project reached the 70 percent completion level.
 
In the coming weeks, the final documents needed to apply for project approval with the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) will be submitted to start the application review process.
 
Project approval by the CTA is needed to begin construction.
 
Construction of the bypass is expected to take three years.
 
In Budget 2022, $237.2 million was allocated to Transport Canada over five years, starting in 2022-2023.
 
These funds will be used to build the Lake Megantic bypass, dismantle the existing track, and implement environmental measures.
 
Private negotiations with affected property owners are ongoing.
 
All affected property owners have until 12 Aug 2022 to negotiate offers to purchase with Public Services and Procurement Canada.
 
Agreements have already been reached with some property owners.
 
Once all government approvals are received, deeds may then be signed for these properties.
 
As part of the environmental assessment process completed in 2020, 138 mitigation measures were identified and included in the project to minimize the project's impact on the community and its environment.
 
Transport Canada will hold public consultations on the hydrogeology and wetlands in the coming weeks.
 
Information will be shared in advance, and residents will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide their comments and concerns.
 
These comments will be shared with the CTA as part of the application for this project.
 
More details will follow in the coming days on the exact timing of the consultations.
 
This project will continue to be a priority for the Government of Canada until it is fully completed.
 
The Government of Canada is committed to completing this project as soon as possible, but it is determined to complete it properly.
 
Transport Canada will continue to keep the public informed throughout the project.
 
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