'We have that resilience and we are strong': Special ceremony marks 1 year since devastating Lytton fire
Scattered in the rubble are reminders of a community that used to be.
Thousands of tonnes of debris has been removed from what was Lytton, but the clearing of properties does not erase the memories of what happened here one year ago, when the village turned into a raging inferno.
“I heard the explosions and it was just like balls of fire … It was like a horror movie,” said Edith Loring-Kuhanga, a Lytton resident.
“Gas tanks and propane tanks just blowing off, a sound I won’t forget,” recalled evacuee Jeff Chapman, whose parents died in the fire.
Lytton Mayor Jan Polderman said: “It happened in a couple hours. This entire town burned down.”
The cause remains undetermined and a police investigation is ongoing.
June 30 marks one year since the fire. Residents came together Thursday for a special ceremony acknowledging the sombre anniversary. A time capsule, with stories and pictures from residents of what happened, was buried. The capsule will be reopened in 30 years.
Tricia Thorpe was among those who attended the event.
“I think the past year has physically changed people. The stress, the uncertainty, the lack of progress,” she said.
Her husband, Don Glasgow, agrees. It’s been a tough, stress-filled year.
“A rollercoaster year. Slides, washouts, the fire, and my heart attack didn’t help either,” he said.
They live on the outskirts of town and are the only residents who have been able to rebuild.
“I sometimes feel guilty that we’ve got our own place and nobody has anything. It’s not right,” said an emotional Glasgow.
The mayor worries some businesses will be unable to return. Same with residents.
“Either because the job of rebuilding is overwhelming or they don’t have the funds to rebuild,” he explained.
He wants to build a community that is as fire-resistant as possible.
“You have to put a fire-resilient exterior onto your house so if there’s an ember shower, your house doesn’t catch fire.”
But residents are more focused on coming home.
“(Elected officials are) so intent on making a model village or putting in solar sidewalks that they’ve forgotten the most important element of a community and that is its people. People just want to come home,” said Thorpe.
There are some signs of progress in Lytton. A community internet company on Thursday became the first to reopen office space after its building burned in the fire. The new location is above the village and outside the evacuation zone.
The mayor said it’s been a year of learning as they work to rebuild an entire community.
“The lesson learned is this isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon, and the complexity of the rebuild is far greater than most people realize, including myself,” Polderman said.
Meanwhile, residents are findings glimmers of hope despite the devastation.
“We have that resilience and we are strong,” said Loring-Kuhanga.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.