The tragedy of Lac-Mégantic, 10 years later: “I had to erase my reality”

The daughter of one of the victims of the 2013 train derailment in Lac-Mégantic fled the city and plunged into drug hell after the tragedy in an attempt at “self-destructive survival” before regaining a taste for life years later.

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“I knew it wouldn’t be my whole life. But I told myself it was necessary to avoid hanging. I had to erase my reality,” says Megan Turcotte, who met in Saint-Georges, Beause, almost 10 years after the tragedy.

On July 6, 2013, his mother, Diane Bizier, went to Musée-Café in Lac-Megantic as she visited friends every weekend. She was with her husband and left a little earlier in the evening.

For her part, Megan Turcotte fell asleep in the middle of the night after taking care of the children of the Musée-Cafe owner at the time. But she awoke hours later to hear talking outside, and it was bright as day.

“When I came out, I saw my brother talking to his girlfriend. I asked them what was going on. Their gaze said it all…”, enthuses Mr.^me Turcotte.

It was then that she learned that the town was on fire and that their mother was nowhere to be found.

Descent into Hell

“Although I didn’t want to admit it in my heart, I felt that I would never see my mother again. Even today, it’s like I never realized what happened to us,” says the young woman, now 27.

Megan Turcotte descended into a veritable hell, as she began to take heavy doses of cannabis and cocaine “to numb her emotions”.

Megan Turcotte got a taste of life again when one of her relatives ended her life.

DIDIER DEBUSSCHERE/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC

It was during this period that she left the town of her childhood, “broken and sad”, began dating a rapidly toxic and violent man, and flirted with suicidal thoughts.

“I wasn’t ready to face the loss of my mother, it hurt inside, constantly. And I was afraid that another event would happen and take away my loved ones one by one,” said Mr.^me Turcotte.

A “rush” to live

A few years later, one of his work colleagues ended his life following heartbreak. It was then that she realized her life was ahead of her and she wanted to be happy.

“It slapped me in the face and I felt the urgency to live. I started to see everything the future could offer me,” says the young woman, who sought help to regain control of her life and move away from her toxic relationship.

M^me Turcotte decided to wait and is currently doing DEP with computer support. He also plans to take video game programming courses at university after that.

This is one of the last photos of Diane Bizier and her daughter Megan Turcotte, taken during the after-prom just weeks before the tragedy.

Photo by Megan Turcotte

The pain in the town of Lac-Mégantic is too great even after 10 years to even consider moving there one day.

“But it’s important that we remember this tragedy. For my mother and for the other victims who didn’t hear anything. For my part, I know she’s watching over me,” she concludes.

Megan Turcotte will release a book next October titled “Mortal Love,” which focuses on the years following the train derailment in Lac-Megantic and the impact the tragedy has had on her life.