Lytton Mayor Denise O'Connor said Tuesday (Sept. 17) people in her community are starting to lose patience over the sluggish pace of reconstruction, calling for the provincial government to take immediate action.
"The sluggish pace has made it impossible for many of our residents to return to their homes," O'Connor said. "Many are feeling hopeless and defeated."
O'Connor made these comments at the Union of British Columbian Municipalities 2024 Convention in Vancouver, speaking late Tuesday morning. A fire on June 30, 2021 killed two individuals and destroyed 90 per cent of the properties in Lytton, located at the confluence of the Thompson and Fraser rivers and home to more than 200 people.
The fire not only caused the loss of life and homes, but also destroyed almost all of the municipality's documents and records.
"These losses were unprecedented," O'Connor said.
O'Connor said the municipality has done extensive work to remove debris, remediate and backfill properties in the downtown core to prepare for rebuilding. But rebuilding efforts remain "unacceptably slow."
The municipality has so far issued 15 residential building permits, as well as seven or commercial or mixed-use permits. She added the community is eager to move forward, to rebuild to come and to come back together.
"(But) the obstacles are daunting," she said. "One of the most significant barriers to our recovery is the required archeology work."
She added just 15 properties have made it through the archaeological process and only three re-built homes are ready to receive families.
The archaeological work, first handled by one archaeological contractor, then two, involves the identification and preservation of any cultural artifacts or heritage sites before construction begins, she said. So far, this work is said to have recovered some 7,000 artifacts, but details are uncertain.
"As a village, we have never been formally told what has been found, how many pieces have been found, only what we have heard in the legislature."
O'Connor stressed that Lytton fully supports the rights of local Indigenous communities and the preservation of heritage.
"These studies are clearly very important and we fully respect the need to protect the sites that are of historical value for the Indigenous Peoples."
But the delays and costs associated with these studies are placing what O'Connor calls an "overwhelming burden" on residents.
Insurance does not cover these costs, which have ranged between $26,000 and $46,000, she said.
"One homeowner received a quote for $82,000 and cancelled their building permit because of that," she said.
Others looking to rebuild are changing their plans by eliminating basements, she added.
O'Connor's call for provincial action focuses on speeding up the archaeological process by using a different search process. "We are also asking the province to cover the costs of archaeological work for the residents," O'Connor said without mentioning a specific figure.
O'Connor paired these demands with more recognition from the provincial government, specifically Premier David Eby.
"I have personally requested two meetings with the premier," she said. "One request was sent in April and another in July," she said. "Both requests have gone unanswered, nothing but crickets. While we appreciate the support we've have received from the province thus far, what our property owners need now is swift action and direct financial assistance."
O'Connor said she does not know why she has not hard from the premier, adding that staff members have been in touch with other ministries.
O'Connor said she hopes Lytton will return to its original population from before fire, but also acknowledged uncertainty about how many people might end up living there five, 10 years from now.
"It's going to be challenging for the people," she said. "Over the three years, we have lost some that have decided not to return just because of everything that has gone on. I'm afraid we are going to lose more."
But O'Connor left no doubt when asked whether Lytton has thought about re-building the community at a different location.
"Absolutely not," she said.
Speaking Wednesday (Sept. 18) at an unrelated event, Premier David Eby said he shares O'Connor's concerns and anxiety about the pace of rebuilding after having met with her.
While the province has provided some support to the community in different ways when it comes to meeting archaeological obligations, Eby signalled additional support. "It's clear that we have to do more and make sure that community is able to get back to functioning," he said. "There has been so much good work that has been done recently there to get things moving and the mayor and her council are part of that and I was glad for the opportunity to talk about that what more we can do."
