Gogama residents 'start to move on' after TSB train derailment report

The March 2015 derailment of a CN train near Gogama, Ont. is referred to as an accident in the Transportation Safety Board's final report. But Gerry Talbot says that's inaccurate.

"It's not really an accident because now they've determined there was a fault in a part of the rail," the community leader says.

"CN has been in business for over 100 years and just now an employee doesn't get trained? To me, theyhaveto be on top of thesethings. If they're not, things like this are going to happen."

• Rail lines in poor condition caused March 2015 Gogama derailment: TSB

Train 'still bothers people'

The derailment was caused by a faulty repair in one of the tracks. Since the derailment, fire chief Mike Benson says residents are always on alert.

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"Go to the crossing and wait until the next train comes by. You're going to see people parked 50 feet away from the tracks. They don't pull up to the gate like they used to," says Benson.

"The familiarity with the train was there, but now you're sitting with someone having a coffee and a train goes by, everybody looks. It's those little things you seethat are still bothering people."

'We're going to keep plugging at it'

Benson says he likes some of the TSB's recommendations, but doubts they'll be implemented. He says the best thing Gogama residents can do now is to make sure CN continues itsenvironmental clean up.

"Everybody said we'd never get anywhere, but we made them remove tonnes of contaminated sediment, over a million litres of oily water when they said absolutely they weren't going to," says Benson.

"There's no reason to think that might not happen again. We're going to keep plugging at it, just how to force their hand is the thing."

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Oil and smoke stained traditional gathering

BettyNeveausays she gets a knot in her stomach every time she hears a train go by.

The photographer and gatherer of traditional medicines lives inMattagami First Nation,located downstream from the oil spill.

Neveausays she's nervous about using berries and plants from the areas where the fire and its huge plume of smoke hit after the derailment.

"The plume, it settles into the earth," says Neveau.

"I'm taking precautionary measures for my well being, and I will not pick thoseand put somebody else at risk either. I have people come to me and ask for some medicines, and it's hard to close the door on them."

Community wants to move forward

Transport Canada has 90 days to respond to the TSB's recommendations. Meanwhile, people in Gogamahave the rest of their lives to try and move on.

"All the press that we received was all negative, telling people there's oil in the water.That's killing our community," says Talbot.

"Now, we know pretty well what's going on with the lake, and I think we can start moving on, movingforward."