Safety concerns still linger as Lac-Mégantic marks 12th anniversary of rail tragedy
The town is commemorating the 2013 tragedy by lowering flags to half-mast, holding a moment of silence and laying flowers at the site of the derailment.
Officials have also asked that the rail company not run trains through the area Sunday out of respect for the victims.
The spokesman for a rail safety group believes not enough has been done to ensure the town's some 6,000 residents are safe from future disasters.
Robert Bellefleur says trains have become longer and heavier, while a long-promised bypass to divert them from the city's core has not been built.
"Previously, trains (had) an average of about 80 cars. (...) Trains now have more than 200 cars, are over 15,000 feet long, with large locomotives that often weigh more than 150 tonnes," he said.
"These railways were designed for much lighter and smaller trains, which means that the railway infrastructure is really under major additional pressure."
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland has issued a statement marking the anniversary and says completing the bypass is one of her priorities.
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