Lac Megantic  | 7

Lac Megantic | 7

Author: Curiouscast February 11, 2021 Duration: 49:05
On this episode of the Global News What Happened To...? journalist Erica Vella revisits the 2013 Lac Megantic train derailment. In the early hours of July 6, 2013, a train carrying petroleum crude oil crashed into the centre of Lac Megantic, a small town in Quebec. The downtown core erupted in flames; 47 people perished, 2,000 people were evacuated from their homes. The tragedy marks one of the worst rail disasters in Canadian history. The incident happened at 1:15 a.m. July 6, 2013, when a runaway train with 72 oil tankers — owned and operated by the now-bankrupt railway company Montreal Maine and Atlantic Railway Ltd. (MMA) — barreled into the town at over 100 km/h. Along with the 47 deaths, much of the town was also destroyed. The Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation into the derailment and found 18 factors led to the Lac-Megantic disaster, including poor training, mechanical problems and sloppy safety oversight, a Transportation Safety Board (TSB) investigation concluded. Three men, Tom Harding, Richard Labrie and Jean Demaitre, were charged following the derailment, but in 2018 a jury had found the men not guilty. On this episode of Global News What Happened To...?, Erica Vella visits the town of Lac Megantic to speak with people who witnessed the tragedy over seven years ago. She describes what the town looks like know and finds out if any changes were made to ensure a derailment like this never happens again. Contact: Twitter: @ericavella Email: erica.vella@globalnews.ca If you enjoy Global News What Happened To...?, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and share the show with your friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember that major news story that dominated the headlines for weeks, then suddenly vanished from the public eye? Global News What Happened To...? picks up the narrative right where the rolling news coverage stopped. Hosted by Global News reporter Erica Vella, this podcast digs into the lasting consequences and unexpected outcomes of events we all thought we understood. It’s not just a recap of the past; it’s a deep, thoughtful look at how those pivotal moments continue to shape our world long after the media spotlight has moved on. Each episode focuses on a single question, revisiting stories like the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the dramatic rescue of the Chilean miners, or the viral frenzy of the Ice Bucket Challenge to uncover what followed. Vella guides listeners through meticulous research and fresh reporting, often speaking directly with the people whose lives were forever changed. You’ll hear updates on recovery efforts, learn about ongoing legal battles, and discover whether those well-intentioned global movements actually led to lasting change. Produced by Curiouscast, this series sits at a fascinating crossroads between history, culture, and current affairs, offering a necessary perspective in our fast-paced news cycle. Tune in for a compelling blend of investigative journalism and human storytelling that provides satisfying, and sometimes surprising, answers to the questions we’re still asking.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 55

Global News What Happened To...?
Podcast Episodes
Crime Beat presents: NCR from Greyhound to Brentwood  | 14 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:55
On this special episode journalist Erica Vella shares an excerpt of the series on the Brentwood Five massacre first covered by Nancy Hixt. Nancy is a Global News colleague and a senior crime reporter based in Calgary and…
Crystal Pepsi  | 13 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:23
From the late 1980s to the early 2000s, companies made the move to create products that were colourless or transparent as it was often equated with purity. It was called the clear craze and it was first inspired by Ivory…
Fort McMurray Fires  | 12 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:30
In May 2016, tens of thousands of people in Fort McMurray were forced to flee their homes, as a fire burned through surrounding forests and entered the city. Damian Asher, a veteran firefighter and the captain of the For…
What’s happened since…?  | 11 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:07
Journalist, Erica Vella is on a journey to find and speak with the people at the heart of stories that have captured the entire world’s attention, … and today she shares major developments in two stories that we’ve cover…
The IKEA Monkey  | 10 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:08
On Dec. 9 2012, video of a baby monkey running around in a faux-shearling coat at a North York IKEA garnered international attention when Darwin escaped a locked crate and vehicle before making a dash toward the furnitur…
Beirut Explosion | 9 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:56
Elias Tarabay remembers Aug. 4, 2020, clearly. He arrived home after having a late lunch with a friend. He was living in Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. His house had a balcony that looked out at the city’s ports. J…
Montreal Expos  | 8 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:59
Elliott Price attended the Montreal Expos' first home game on April 14, 1969 at Jarry Park. "There was a lot of worry because it snowed significantly during that week in April 1969, and it was a makeshift field, as well,…
Jamaican Bobsled Team  | 7 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:23
Devon Harris always had a passion for sport and dreamed of competing in the Olympics as a teenager. He spent his childhood in Haughton, a rural district in Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica, but moved to Olympic Gardens in Kingst…
Blockbuster | 6 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:56
As a former multiple-franchiser owner, Alan Payne is familiar with Blockbuster; he had owned over 40 stores in Alaska and Texas. Early on, however, Payne said he noticed issues with how the company had been operating. At…
Kony 2012 - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:37
In March 2012, a 30-minute film produced by U.S.-based not-for-profit Invisible Children and narrated by co-founder Jason Russell, aimed to shed light on Joseph Kony, the leader of the Ugandan rebel group, the Lord’s Res…