Lac-Mgantic funeral parlour destroyed in fire to reopen

A funeral parlour in Lac-Mgantic will be the first of thetown's private businessesdestroyed in the fataltrain derailment to reopen.

The ComplexeFunraireJacquesetFils was located directly in front of the train tracks where the train derailed last July.

"I said from the beginning, two or three weeks after the tragedy, it was my goal to be the first," said vice-president Franois Jacques.

Jacques saidfuneral arrangements are an essential community serviceand rebuilding the business was important.

Despite the destruction of its mainbrick and mortar location, the funeral parlour managed to organize ceremonies for 25 of the 47 victims killed in the disaster by relying onaccess to two of its smaller locations.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the rebuilt ComplexeFunraireJacquesetFilswas held on Tuesday in Lac-Mgantic.

Jacques saidhe hopes he will be able to officially open the doors to the new building on July 6, exactly one year after the derailment.