One disadvantage of attending virtually is that it's hard for me to see who's in the room. It's nice to see that you're here.
I also want to thank you for making sure that you're a vocal voice on behalf of your constituents to ensure that the bypass is built as quickly as possible and very safely, and that the input of community members is taken into account.
I've been personally involved in this since being appointed Minister of Transport last year. I visited Lac-Mégantic last summer. I've held several meetings with the mayor and neighbouring communities' mayors. I'm glad to report that all landowners who are impacted by the bypass have received offers for their properties. We will do whatever we can to reach settlements with all of the landowners.
Also, we are committed to starting the construction as quickly as possible, by this spring or early summer, to make sure the residents of Lac-Mégantic see how serious our government is about building this bypass.