Province providing Lytton with $1M for wildfire recovery

Dec 8, 2021 | 2:00 PM

The B.C. Government has announced it is immediately providing the Village of Lytton with $1-million to support its economic recovery following the devastation caused by wildfires.

“The people of Lytton, business owners and the local government are facing an enormous challenge, and our government is providing the support they need right now to rebuild,” said Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary of Emergency Preparedness.

“With homes and businesses shuttered or lost, the Village of Lytton is financially challenged to keep its operations going. With this funding, the village can continue its critical work on the ground to get the community back up and running.”

A wildfire on June 30, 2021, destroyed much of the community and caused the deaths of two residents.

The funding is being provided through the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. It will see $500,000 go to support community efforts to restart the local economy, and $500,000 will be used for operational activities in the village so it can continue to pay staff leading the wildfire recovery efforts.

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“The provincial government is supporting the community of Lytton as it recovers and rebuilds the community,” said Roly Russell, Parliamentary Secretary of Rural Development and the MLA for Boundary-Similkameen.

“By working closely with officials in Lytton, we will continue to do everything we can to overcome the challenges they identify and expedite recovery efforts. I know from my own lived experience how helpful funds like these can be to help navigate a successful community recovery.”

The province says they are supporting Lytton’s recovery by funding four key areas.

Emergency and Temporary Housing:

Evacuee accommodation support through Emergency Support Services and Camp Hope
Direct financial assistance through partnership with Canadian Red Cross

Local Government Recovery Team:

Emergency Operations Centre staff
Communications capacity
Recovery and project management
Economic development co-ordinator
Financial management and governance support
Survey co-ordinator
Recovery planning support delivered by the Fraser Basin Council

Safe Return and Re-entry:

Safe work plans and site security
Re-entry co-ordinator
Dangerous tree risk assessments
Environmental hazard assessment and soot sampling
Disaster financial assistance
Debris removal

Other Financial and In-kind Support:

Donation management co-ordination
Case management

Additionally, both Rice and Russel have been appointed as recovery liaisons between the province and the village to support the community and its residents as it works through the recovery process.

“Our village was devastated by this past summer’s wildfire, but our spirits remain strong,” said Jan Polderman, mayor of the Village of Lytton.

“We are hoping to rebuild as soon as possible, and this grant will help us with our immediate critical needs.”

by Liam Verster

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