Abstract Body

In July 2013, a 72-car train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded in the heart of Lac-Mégantic (Quebec, Canada). For this municipality of 6,000 inhabitants, beyond the 47 victims and the loss of the completely destroyed city center, the challenge is to rebuild a cohesive living environment, while focusing on new development strategies. Many initiatives have been put in place as part of the reconstruction process: the creation of the Town Center Planning and Implementation Committee (CAMEO), the citizen participation process Reinventing the City, opening up the Reconstruction Office (funded by Canada Economic Development), responsible for stimulating recovery and supporting the community in reclaiming the city center. The authorities have chosen to position themselves in a proactive posture, seeking to anticipate the changes that will affect its socio-demographic structure and its practices (in its governance, in the daily lives of citizens, etc.). The city also faces many mutations, undergone or chosen. Forms of resistance can also be observed, affecting both speeches and projects. Today, a lot has been achieved; some projects have failed.

This post-disaster concept brings out the concept of urban transition: from the moment a disaster takes place to the new normal, actions taken by the authorities and the community (notably through the activities of an outreach team) have had to take into consideration issues from both the disaster itself and the general transformation of a small-sized town (aging of the population, changes in the economy, etc.). Almost 10 years later, what lessons can be learned? Did the rupture caused by the accident created a momentum to define - or redefine – the community as a whole? This communication will explore how local initiatives, put forward by various stakeholders, have transformed both the physical characteristics of the town and the perceptions the stakeholders have of their environment. From this analysis, it should allow for a better understanding of local issues; taking them into account in the municipality's short, medium and long-term strategic planning.