Exasperated with the attitude and lack of communication from the federal government, the municipality of Nantes, in Estrie, is withdrawing from any collaboration in the railway bypass project.
The Nantes municipal council adopted a resolution on Tuesday evening to the effect that “the municipality of Nantes ends all collaboration with the Ministry of Transport of Canada and other stakeholders in the bypass project.”
During the previous month’s meeting, on October 8, municipal elected officials had expressed their expectations of Transport Canada, in particular financial compensation for the loss of natural environments and land revenue, leaving the organization one month to give an answer.
“Unfortunately, no response to his requests was received,” said Mayor Daniel Gendron. We’re tired of being fooled, it’s been going on for three years, it’s over! We no longer participate in any committees and we will not sign any agreements until the municipality has cashed a check from the federal government to compensate for the losses incurred by the project.”
Mr. Gendron is aware that the project can still be carried out, but he believes that it will “put sand in the works” and above all, says that it sends a clear message regarding the absence of social acceptability.
The mayor of Lac-Mégantic, Julie Morin, has difficulty explaining her neighbors’ decision: “The project is going to be done globally anyway. I find it a shame for the citizens of Nantes because here we are embarking on concrete steps where our role today is to limit the impacts, among other things with the well monitoring program.”
Asked by TVA Nouvelles whether his municipality could also leave the discussion table, the mayor of Frontenac Gaby Gendron, who has often criticized the lack of transparency of the federal government in this matter, preferred not to comment on the news for the moment .
“We take note of the Nantes resolution, we will start by discussing it together between members of the council and we will see what happens next for us,” he mentions.
The Federal Minister of Transport, Anita Anand, keeps her hand outstretched towards Nantes.
“Our government is going to remove the railway line from downtown Lac-Mégantic. Transport Canada works daily with CPKC and the Canadian Transportation Agency to finalize the approval request. We have been consulting everyone for years, including the municipality of Nantes, so that the project responds to local concerns. We are always ready to discuss it further with Nantes to find solutions that will benefit them. We owe it to the region and the citizens of Lac-Mégantic to achieve this bypass,” she declared.
“I find it deplorable that the federal government has not heard the numerous requests from the municipalities,” mentions the member for Mégantic-L’Érable Luc Berthold, who however refuses to commit to financially compensating the municipality of Nantes if the Conservative Party takes power in the next elections.
