Lac-Mégantic, Quebec
21 November 2013
Thank you very much.
Good day everyone.
Madam Mayor of Lac Mégantic, Colette Roy-Laroche, Mr. Prefect of the Regional County Municipality of Le Granit, Maurice Bernier, my federal colleague and your Member of Parliament, Mr. Christian Paradis, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
I am honoured to be here with you again in Lac Mégantic.
I would like to begin by paying tribute to the people of this community.
From the very first moments following this tragedy, you came together and got to work.
It took 80 fire departments, all pitching in together, to bring the flames and the inferno under control.
All of the first responders exhibited enormous courage and I would like to personally thank them.
Canadians across this land were deeply moved in the wake of the events of July 6, 2013.
Above all, they recognized your resilience, your determination and your steely resolve to rebuild.
The Government of Canada considers it essential that your community have the necessary tools to move forward and restore a certain normalcy to your lives.
This is without a doubt the chief priority of Mr. Paradis, both as Minister and as your MP.
Christian is continuing to work very hard to rebuild Lac Mégantic.
Let’s give him a warm round of applause.
Following the events, ladies and gentlemen, we quickly announced a financial contribution of $60 million to help get the local economy moving again and to support the efforts on the ground.
Of course, hazardous materials spread and found their way into the soil and water.
This has resulted in considerable cleanup costs.
We told you earlier that we would be there for the decontamination effort.
Today I am announcing that the Government of Canada is making available an initial contribution of up to $95 million to cover the costs of the decontamination.
This sum amounts to 50 per cent of the costs estimated by the Government of Québec and is in keeping with their request.
We are aware, of course, that the costs of the cleanup could fluctuate, and we will be prepared to contribute more.
My friends, I know all too well that no amount of money can wipe away your painful memories or the terrible consequences of this unspeakable tragedy.
But please know that our Government is doing everything within its power to support you.
The tragic events of July 6th were entirely and absolutely unacceptable.
These events, as well as the company involved, remain under investigation.
And rest assured, we will get to the bottom of this.
At the same time, we quickly put in place tougher security measures for the transport by rail of hazardous materials.
Earlier this week we requested a parliamentary study on the transport of hazardous materials, and we’ve put in place a system so that municipalities can learn what is being transported within their territory.
And we will keep taking concrete action, all the while keeping you in our thoughts.
Indeed, in a few moments I will be handing the Mayor a document containing messages of condolence to your community from around the world.
My dear friends, I can only imagine how terrible it must feel for those who lost a loved one, or their home, or their business, in this tragedy.
But once again I’d like to offer you my promise that the Government of Canada will continue standing with you and supporting you in these difficult times.
Thank you, and until we meet again.
