The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday, July 7, edition that citizens of Lac-Megantic, Que., marked the 12th anniversary of a rail disaster that claimed 47 lives when a runaway train derailed downtown. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe reports that on Sunday, flags were lowered, flowers were laid and a moment of silence was observed. Officials requested that the rail company avoid running trains through the area in respect for the victims. However, advocate Robert Bellefleur warned that safety measures are lacking, noting that trains have become longer and heavier, and a promised bypass to divert them from the city has not been built. Mr. Bellefleur is a spokesman for a group of citizens who are working to ensure better rail safety in Lac-Megantic. These "monster" trains are travelling on rail lines built between 1880 and 1920 "for trains that were much lighter and much smaller," Mr. Bellefleur said. He believes trains are more dangerous now than at the start of the 2000s, and "it's not just Lac-Megantic that is at risk." In recent months, he said citizens have noticed wear and erosion around railway culverts near the town's entrance, which is "nothing to reassure citizens," Mr. Bellefleur said.