The Lac-Megantic tragedy has made us into a country of rail experts. It seems everyone now has an opinion on air brakes, hand brakes, tanker cars, one-man trains and so on and so on.
Investigators will discover the truth. But it does seem clear at this point that we need better laws and better enforcement of safety standards, especially for a railway with such a checkered past. What is clear is the incredible steadfastness and graciousness in the face of almost unspeakable horror from the people of a small town by a lake that many had never heard of.
For the people of Lac-Megantic, time indeed stopped in the early hours of Saturday two weeks ago. And after all the TV crews fold up their tents and have gone home, after the politicians have moved on, the people of this small town will be left to rebuild from the ashes. There is no doubt they have the strength and the determination to do so.
Praise for Marois
For the past 10 months, the Marois government has been a disaster. It's been a government of improvisation and exclusion, but so far, in this file, the premier has seemed to have her footing.
The immediate response from the Quebec government after the explosion was competent. What remains to be seen is whether this government is capable of crisis management of what will be a very long road back for the town. The federal response, on the other hand, has been less than inspiring.
Inspiring mayor
The real inspiration has come from the town’s courageous mayor. Colette Roy-Laroche has been a symbol of resolve, hope, compassion and kindness. Mayor since 2002, she has stepped up to an unimaginable challenge. She says mayors are the kind of people who should rise to the occasion and indeed she has. All leaders and those aspiring to leadership can take lessons from Mme. Roy-Laroche. Could we just convince her to run here?
Soft landing for Applebaum
Sometimes the law is indeed an ass and this one needs to be changed. When politicians in Quebec leave office while still breathing they are given a soft landing. So 268,000 of your dollars will be going to Michael Applebaum as a goodbye gift after he quit in disgrace. That’s more than a quarter of a million dollars.
We pay teachers about $55,000 per year. Nurses and firefighters receive about $65,000 – and these are people who make a difference. Something is really wrong here.
Whether the courts find him guilty or not is beside the point. Next time you write a cheque for your inflated property tax bill in Montreal, think about it. And yes – you are allowed to get angry.
