Three weeks after a train ripped apart the quiet town of Lac-Megantic, survivors attempting to return to some semblance of normal life say their future remains uncertain.
For many still mourning the loss of life and property, the disaster that claimed 47 lives has also left behind despair and stress.
“People are worried,” says Micheline Therrien. “They hear a noise, and think another disaster is coming.”
Patrice Laframboise and his family survived the tragedy, but their lives have been turned upside down.
With their home located in the red zone,the epicentre of the destruction caused by the explosive derailment, Laframboise, his wife and children have had to live apart.
Two hundred residents who also live in the restricted area remain homeless as a police criminal investigation, as well as a probe by federal transportation safety officials, continues at the site.
Crews also continue to search the red zone for five missing people believed to have perished in the derailment on July 6, when a 72-car train parked for the night rolled down a nearby hill and skipped the tracks, setting off a series of deadly explosions.
Laframboise says he still has no idea if or when he’ll be able to go home, but he wants his family to be together.
“We need some answers, some goals, and to make our lives more regular,” he said.
At Saturday’s memorial, Laframboise’s 15-year-old daughter, a violinist, performed during the mass -- a symbol of hope for the mourners and the survivors.
“It’s one of the first ways to show that there’s a normal life that can come back,” he said.
As the healing process continues, another important step for Lac-Megantic is the burials of the victims. The first of the funerals are planned for next Sunday.
With a report from CTV’s Peter Akman
