Gov. Paul LePage plans to travel to Lac-Megantic, Quebec, on Saturday to attend a memorial Mass for the victims of the this month’s train disaster there that involved a Maine railroad com.
LePage will also meet with Colette Roy-Laroche, the town’s mayor, and other dignitaries.
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The town of about 6,000 people is located 10 miles from the Maine border.
“While a line divides our countries, it does not divide our people and it is important for Maine to support our northern neighbors during this time of need,” LePage said in a written statement.
On July 6, a runaway train operated by the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway rolled down a hill and crashed in the center of Lac-Megantic, setting off explosions that killed 47 people.
The railroad, based in Hermon, Maine, has been transporting crude oil through Quebec and Maine for delivery to an oil refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick.
Last week, a five-person delegation from Franklin County visited Lac-Megantic to offer support and find out how Mainers could help.
The delegation included Danny Devoe, a French-speaking state employee who works in the governor’s office on trade issues between Maine and Canada.
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