Meet the students who recorded a ‘tool for healing’ 10 years after the deadly railway disaster of Lac-Mégantic

If singer-songwriter Yvon Pion had any doubts about recording a song with schoolchildren in Lac-Mégantic, Que., to mark the 10th anniversary of the explosive train derailment that tore apart their town, they were cleared after a 10-year-old approached him .

“She said to me, ‘Yvon, you know I never liked July 6 because it’s my birthday, and I was a year old at the time. [of the tragedy],” said Pion.

“I looked her in the eye and I said, ‘By participating in this project, you can now create something new. Just be here with us and sing.'”

Pion and his partner, Brigitte Savoie, moved in February to Lac-Mégantic, a town of 6,000 in the Eastern Townships. He said he was inspired this spring to write a song that could “unite people” and help manage the pain that could come with commemorative events this summer.

“It’s very important to me that every song I write becomes a tool for healing,” said Pion. “After 10 years in Lac-Mégantic, there is still work to be done.”

Madison Bell is one of the singers. Like the other students of groups 4, 5 and 6 of the Notre-Dame-de-Fatima school who took part in Pion’s project, she is too young to remember the July 6, 2013 derailment.

She only moved to the city six years ago. But the 5th grade student is well aware of the significance of the tragedy, he attended elementary school just a mile from Frontenac Street, the main street of the city that was decimated.

Madison says she loves the lyrics about overcoming trauma: “We survive because of our courage and love.”

LISTEN: Courage et Amour by Yvan Pion

“The song, when it was made, was to send a message to say we’ve been through this; it’s time to look forward to the future,” said Madison.

“It feels like I can really help other people bring a little joy into their lives.”

The song was released on May 20 and Madison has been listening to it repeatedly ever since.

“I’m really proud of what I’ve done,” she said. She enjoyed the experience of recording in a studio environment for the first time.

“I was shy and nervous. It was really weird. But I think we had a great time.”

Madison’s music teacher, Charles-Antoine Dumas, says his goal was to give his students a unique experience.

Dumas worked with Pion to set up microphones, headphones, and audio equipment, and he and the kids recorded the song after school and at recess.

“There really aren’t many nine-, ten-, or eleven-year-old kids who can do that [say]”I made a professional recording,” said Dumas.

“We had very different levels of singers: some sang really well. Some didn’t. But in the end, we don’t expect them to be a good singer, but to participate in the event itself.”

Dumas himself was only 16 when the train derailed. He says he hopes this song can help his students’ families process their grief.

“What I wanted to give them was the chance to see what art can be – that it can bring people together,” said Dumas, “and I wanted them to hear their voices this summer when the song is played around Lac. Megantic.”

“Children’s voices in this song bring a kind of hope.”