Popular bar, Musi-Caf, reopens after being destroyed in explosion

The Musi-Cafthe downtown Lac-Mganticbar destroyed in the explosionwill re-open with a concert tonight.

The Musi-Caf was destroyed on July6 when the runaway train carrying oil exploded in the city's downtown. In all, 47 people are dead or missing, including three employees of the Musi-Caf.

At a news conference today, Mayor Roy-Laroche called the reopening "a moment in the sun in town's darkest days."

The new Musi-Caf is located in the north endof the town, in the form of a tent made from materials donated by local business owners.

The temporary bar will be open for the next two months and will feature free concerts by Quebec artists, beginning tonight with Fred and Nicolas Pellerin with Les Grands Hurleurs.

Resident Dawn Bramadat said the music venue was a cultural centre for the community.

"It was a place, first of all, where musicians could goyou know, the huge community of musicians herethey could go and be heard and try out their stuff," she said.

"So its so incredible that all these wonderful, wonderful performers from around the province are coming and donating their time. It really touches all of us."

Some families go home

Lac-Mgantic Mayor Colette Roy-Laroche says 50 families forced to leave their homes near the disaster area in the Quebec community have returned home since yesterday with the help of support crews.

More than 100 people had to leave their homes after a deadly train derailment and explosions a month ago. Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board and the police wrapped up their on-the-ground searches for victimsyesterday.

Security officials said samples have been taken from the homes and testedto make sure there is no environmental contamination from the oil that spilled and burned.

Search for victims over

• Search for Lac-Mgantic victims ends with 5 still missing

The search for victims is ending, although work will continue to identify more victims though elements found at the scene, a spokeswoman for the Quebec coroner's office confirmed.

"We conclude this work today with sincere and profound conviction that we did everything humanly possible to locate the missing," Genevive Guilbault said at a news conference Thursday morning in the small town in Quebec's Eastern Townships.

Over the last 27 days, the remains of 42 people were located. Of those, 38 have been officially identified by the coroner's office.