Integrated Planning for Sustainable Development: City of Lac-Mégantic Downtown Reconstruction

Following the train derailment disaster of July 2013 which destroyed downtown Lac-Mégantic, the City wants to develop a sustainable downtown reconstruction plan to guide the rebuilding of the entire sector. The City will base its work on numerous sustainable development plans and undertake extensive public consultations. Lac-Mégantic will be assisted in its efforts by a planning and implementation committee called CAMEO. CAMEO will be responsible for developing an integrated activity plan for the reconstruction of the downtown, while taking into account the major regional development issues. The downtown reconstruction plan will be integrated into the special planning program and revitalization program of the Fatima neighbourhood, and will be based on five main principles: encourage residents to participate in the development of a vision for the area; define the reconstruction context, i.e. the obligation to remember the grieving families, honour the first responders (such as firefighters and police), decontamination, etc.; consult experts to identify innovative approaches to reconstruction; develop a communication and monitoring plan to promote community ownership by mobilizing all stakeholders, e.g. residents, the business community, government agencies, and others; define the principles of sustainable development, including the five GMF sectors (energy, water, waste, transportation and brownfields), as well as socio-economic development and tourism. The response plan will include an implementation and monitoring plan. The process of reconstruction for Lac-Mégantic’s downtown, which attaches great importance to the security of the residents, will be monitored and documented, and several activities will be filmed so the experience can be shared. This project has the potential to be a benchmark at the national and international level. The reconstruction of a city centre following a catastrophe of this magnitude could serve as a model for building more resilient communities, taking into account a great number of risk factors, including disaster prevention and natural disasters caused by climate change. (Project description from original funding application)