Delays and rebuilding costs frustrate Lytton residents, province looking for solutions

The day after Lytton residents rallied against the delays and costs of rebuilding their community, the province is promising to look for solutions.

But Thursday marked 841 days since the devastating fire, and residents say they don’t want more talk. They want action.

“There’s still people homeless. The archeological work has put a big red tape along things and people are getting really frustrated,” said Lytton resident Brittannia Glasgow.

The archeological work, required on every site in Lytton before rebuilding can take place, has been a source of delays and cost.

Recently, one property owner learned they were facing a hefty bill for required archaeological monitoring so a trench could be dug.

“I think that just got people panicking a bit,” said Lorna Fandrich, who owned the Lytton Chinese History Museum that burned during the devastating fire in June of 2021.

“We are underinsured, most of us. We’re having a difficult time building, and now they’re just going to add another $20,000 ticket to what we’re trying to do? So, I think that’s what kind of brought it to a head,” said Fandrich, who plans to rebuild the museum.

The minister responsible, Bruce Ralston, said Lytton’s rebuild has had complications.

“There are about 7,000 artifacts (that) have been found and human remains have been found ... One of the commentators have described this as perhaps one of the richest archeological sites in North America,” Ralston said.

“We will see what kind of solution we can have, but I do agree that progress has been taking much longer than people initially realized,” he added.

Ralston says the province has provided funding for the archeological work, but the village contracted the firm that is undertaking it.

“So the terms of the archeological work are something that have been negotiated between the village and the firm,” he said.

BC United MLA Jackie Tegart said she continues to hear from people still living out of their cars or in motel rooms since the fire.

“They would have never (have) believed two-and-a-half years later they would still be out of their homes,” said Tegart, whose Fraser-Nicola riding includes Lytton.

“The big gap is the provincial government providing the support, the expertise, the processes, the timelines, that the people of Lytton deserve,” she said.

To date, not a single home has been rebuilt in Lytton, where the mayor, Denise O’Connor, said property owners are facing extraordinary rebuilding costs.

Glasgow said the lack of progress is frustrating.

“There’s blue fences up that have been up since the fire happened,” she said, adding that the people of Lytton need support.

“We want to come home. We are tired and sad. We are homeless,” she said.

“I’m not sure they’re really connecting how each little decision affects all of us,” said Fandrich.