Lytton mayor urges B.C. to end delays in rebuilding from wildfire

More than three years after a wildfire devastatedLytton, B.C., Mayor Denise O'Connor iscalling for the province to cut red tape that's slowing down rebuilding.

Despite funding from all levels of government, O'Connor says only a handful ofresidents have returned to the Interior B.C. village.

"The rebuilding efforts in Lytton remain unacceptably slow,"O'Connor said at a news conference on Tuesday. "The sluggish pace has made it impossible for many residentsto returnto their homes.Many are feelinghopeless and defeated."

According to O'Connor, there is a legal requirement for each site to undergo anarchaeological study before it can berebuilt studies she says that are costly andslowing down the village's recovery. In three years, 15 building permits have made it through the archaeological process, and only three homesare ready for families to return to.

Now, O'Connor isasking the province to speed up the archaeological process and fund the cost of the studies.

"These studies are clearly very important, and we fully respect the need to protect the sites that are of historical value for Indigenous Peoples," she said. "However, the delay and costs associated with these studies are placing an overwhelming burdenon the residents who are already grappling with so much loss."

In May, the province's auditor general announced the office is investigating the B.C. government's response to the wildfire.

On June 30, 2021, the day after Lyttonhit a Canadian record-high temperature of 49.6 C,a wildfire scorched nearly the whole village andkilled two people.

Similar incidents are expected to happenmore often. Natural Resources Canada says it expects wildfires and the hot and dry conditions that feed fires to increase in magnitude as a result of human-caused changes to the Earth's climate.

It's estimated that about90 per cent of the homes in the approximately 250-person village were levelled.According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the wildfire caused $102 million ininsured damage.

Since then, the provincial and federal governments have sent the community more than $239 million in funding to help the community rebuild.

The press secretary for Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdusaidin June, more than $120 million of that money went to the Lytton First Nation to support recovery and fast-track housing.

But that work has been slow. About 50 residents live in temporary trailers on adjacent land and nearby reserves. Hundreds more remain displaced.

The village is one of the longest continuously inhabited communities in North America, according to the village website. It saysthe Nlaka'pamuxhavelived in the area since the end of the last glacial period, making Lytton a significant cultural and historical site.

Some early buildings were constructed on top of burial grounds, and artifacts began to show up after the fire.

The province's Heritage Conservation Actrequires each site to undergo a heritage study before construction can begin. According to the act, the cost of that study fallson the applicant for a building permit which O'Connor saysare homeowners.

WATCH | Three years after devastating wildfire, Lyttonrebuilding still delayed:

Rebuild of B.C. town destroyed in wildfire plagued by delays

3 months ago

Duration 1:58

Three years after a wildfire destroyed most of Lytton, B.C., only a handful of homes and businesses have been rebuilt, and many residents are still displaced. The rebuilding has faced delays because of tougher building codes and the discovery of Indigenous artifacts on some properties.

These studies are costlyand not covered by insurance,O'Connor said. She said the cost to conduct a study at ten of the homes ranged from$26,000 to $46,00. She addedthe quote for a study ofone home was $86,000.

In addition to the costs, O'Connor saysthe team conducting the studies doesn't have enough staff. There are only two archaeologists available to studythe damaged sites.

B.C. Forests Minister Bruce Ralston said the provincewill fund archaeological workand has already sent the village $41 million to fund recovery work.

"We will be there to support the Village of Lytton in their rebuilding. It is heartening to see homes are being rebuilt, small businesses are reopening," Ralson said in an email to CBC News."There is still more work to do and we look forward to working with the village and the community."

A spokesperson for the ministry addedthe province's Archaeology Branch sent permitting staff to Lytton this summer to answer residents' questions, andthe premier and Mayor of Lytton are meeting at the Union of B.C. Municipalities.