Residents of Lytton and the surrounding area attended a multi-faith rebuilding blessing event on Friday, June 30, two years to the day since 90 per cent of the town was destroyed by fire.
The event was described as an opportunity for Lyttonites, members of the Nlaka’pamux Nation, neighbours, partners, and Village of Lytton council and staff to mark the second-year anniversary of the Lytton Creek fire. It began at the parish hall of St. Barnabas Church, at the north end of town, where the hall, church, and a small house on the property are some of the only buildings in the village that were not destroyed. The nearby memorial to Chief Cexpe’nthlEm, who was instrumental in ending the Fraser Canyon War of 1858, was also spared.
Participants then walked to the south end of the community via the sidewalk on Main Street, something that is only possible now that clearing of the sites has been finished and the fencing that still runs the length of the street has been moved back and opened up in places to allow sidewalk and property access. This was done after the state of local emergency that was put in place on June 30, 2021 was finally ended on June 19, 2023, allowing property owners to once again access their properties.
There are still some restrictions, however. Fencing remains in some places where there are hazards, or where archaeologically sensitive areas have been identified.
At a site at the town’s south end there were speeches and blessings from several people, including Pastoral Elders Ernie and Pauline Michell; The Rev. Angus Muir; The Rev. Koten Benson; Father Darren Bell; Lytton Mayor Denise O’Connor; and Lytton Recovery Manager Mike Blaschuk. A representative from Samaritan’s Purse, which assisted in helping property owners recover items after the fire, also spoke.
After the speeches, symbolic backfilling with soil and water — including earth from Lytton First Nation — was done at the site, with attendees invited to take part. O’Connor said that it was an opportunity to “bless the ground on which we will rebuild our community.”
The village has now shifted from recovery to rebuilding, and is preparing to start backfilling sites that are free from contamination and where no further archaeological work is required. The village is also encouraging property owners to start applying for building permits.
“We hope to remember this day going forward, not only as the anniversary of the wildfire, but also as Lytton’s rebuilding anniversary,” said O’Connor.
Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart was at the June 30 event, and earlier that day released a statement noting the two-year anniversary of the fire.
“This is an emotional day for the people of Lytton, as we mark two years since the devastating fire that destroyed homes, infrastructure, businesses, and livelihoods and most tragically, claimed two lives,” she said.
“While there remains a lot of frustration and anger over the slow progress to rebuild what was lost, community members are still trying to be hopeful and optimistic for the future. Many will gather in the village today to walk and pray together, sharing the community spirit that was never lost, and I will proudly walk with them.
“Residents have shown incredible resilience in the face of extraordinary challenges.”
The cause of the fire, which claimed two lives, has not yet been determined. On June 30, 2023 the RCMP issued a statement noting that the BC RCMP investigation into the fire remains “active and ongoing”.
“The police investigation [is] continuing to assess for possible criminality and we have no timeline with respect to when it may be completed. We will continue to take the time needed to ensure that all avenues of investigation have been covered off. We remain mindful of other investigations that focused on determining the cause, origin and looking at compliance or regulatory impacts.”
On Oct. 14, 2021 the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) stated that it had found “no evidence” linking railway activity to the fire that destroyed Lytton.
“The TSB investigation has not revealed any evidence to link railway operations to the fire. Therefore, unless new information establishes that a TSB reportable event occurred, no further work will be performed and no TSB investigation report will be produced,” the TSB said in a statement.
On July 10, 2021 TSB investigator James Carmichael investigated the train that was suspected to have caused the fire after it had been secured by the RCMP and investigated by Transport Canada.
“I went down and did a complete walk around the train looking for any signs of burnt brake heads, hot bearings or anything that looks like it could have caused or sustained a fire,” he said.
“I did not see anything that jumped out at me that would put the railway operation in any way starting the fire.”
Carmichael added that both CN and CP were forthcoming with information and cooperated fully with investigators.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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