Lytton, B.C., seeing signs of life, nearly 4 years after wildfire
Rebuilding has been slow in the small B.C. village, but homes and businesses are starting to reemerge
It's taken nearly four years, but Lytton, B.C.'s mayor has finally moved back into her home.
Denise O'Connor had been living in a rental in the village since November of 2021, but on Saturday, she spent her first night in her newly rebuilt three-storey home.
Her old house, like most homes in Lytton, was destroyed when a fast moving wildfire burned through the community on June 30, 2021 — incinerating about 90 percent of the village and burning buildings in the nearby Lytton First Nation, as well as parts of the Thompson Nicola Regional District.
O'Connor had full replacement insurance so she was able to rebuild her home with the same square footage — and add in an extra bathroom and a larger deck to take advantage of her view of the meeting of the Thompson and Fraser rivers.
Still, O'Connor said the new place doesn't feel the same. It lacks all her old home's heritage charm.
"I know it's mine, but it's so different from my home before the fire."
After the fire, many Lytton resident were hopeful they would be able to return home quickly, but delays caused by the need for archeological studies, as well as a lack of insurance coverage, have dragged out the rebuilding process.
Now, the village is finally starting to show signs of being a community again, with some people moving home and a few businesses opening back up.
The changes are giving people like O'Connor hope that the village could once again be a vibrant part of the Fraser Canyon. She said the village council has approved a development permit for a pharmacy, and the local Legion and a craft store are in the process of being rebuilt.
The village is also moving forward on a community hub that is set to house amenities like a pool and, potentially, a library.
"That's so exciting ... things are happening," O'Connor said.
But it's still slow going.
According to O'Connor, only nine rebuilt homes are occupied in the village, with another nine set to be move-in ready in the next few months. That's a small portion of the 112 Lytton homes and businesses that were fully destroyed by the wildfire.
The reconstruction is being done by builders like John May.
He started work in the village right after the fire, first with clean up and then with the construction of new homes. His team has built two homes on the nearby Lytton First Nation, where dozens of homes and businesses were burned down, and three within the municipality.
When May first brought his team from South Pier Frameworks up from Coquitlam, he said he didn't realize just how many people from Lytton he would end up working with.
"That made us part of the community," he said.
It also kept him invested in the rebuild.
After he wraps up at the mayor's house, his team will be finishing up work on the local Legion building and starting work on a craft business. May hopes he'll be able to take on future builds within the village too.
"To come through when it was just rubble and fences to where it is now is uplifting. It shows that there's hope for a future here."
Museum set to reopen
Just a few blocks away from O'Connor's home, the Lytton Chinese History Museum is set to reopen on Main Street.
When the wildfire ripped through the village, museum executive director Lorna Fandrich wasn't sure she would rebuild. She said the building was underinsured and she was preparing to retire at the time of the fire.
But she decided to continue on.
"First off, I didn't want to be one of the businesses in Lytton that left ... I didn't want to let the town down. But the second one was, I had got so much support from the community."
Fandrich said she received nearly $150,000 in donations, as well as around 700 artifacts donated from the Chinese community across Canada, to replace the 1,600 items destroyed in the wildfire.
With those items, she's been able to recreate the inside of the museum in a nearly identical way to what was there before the fire, with one addition — a single case dedicated to artifacts that survived the flames, like pottery with bits of melted glass.
"It's a very small area, and I chose to do that just because the fire and destruction of this building is part of the story, but it's such a small part of the story."
Fandrich has arranged a grand opening for May 3, where people who donated items, along with dignitaries and members of the public, will be able to explore the space.
As for O'Connor, she's just enjoying being able to sleep in her own bed and look out at her old view.
"It smells new when you walk in here. It just feels so good."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
