Quebec pledges $16 million to Lac-Mgantic for rebuilding downtown

The Quebec government has pledged $16 million for the reconstruction of Lac-Mgantic's devastated downtown,after the July 6 train derailment and explosion that claimed the lives of 47 people and destroyed dozens of buildings.

At a newsconference in Lac-Mgantic today, Quebec Premier Pauline Marois said the rebuilding would include the construction of a bridge across the Chaudire River and amemorial park in commemoration of the disaster.

The mayor of Lac-Mgantic, Colette Roy-Laroche,said construction work will begin September 15, with plans to havea new commercial area functioning by the end of December.

"With our resources alone we would not be able to achieve what we had in mind," said Roy-Laroche.

Roy-Laroche said the financial assistance will help the approximately100businesses affected by the disaster relocate to a expandedcommercial area in the city's so-called green-zone.

The mayor said thered-zonethe area most contaminated by the explosionwould likely not be accessible to the public until June 2014, nearly one year after the disaster.

Marois said the $16 million contribution would bepart ofthe $60 million initiallypromised by the provincial government in July.

• Federal government promises $60M to help rebuild Lac-Mgantic