The work would allow Lytton residents to return safely and prepare the village for the next phase of rebuilding, including planning and permitting, later in the fall.
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The BC government announced it will spend $21 million toward re-establishing essential services in fire-devastated Lytton, the next step of a long rebuild process.
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The money would go toward re-establishing key infrastructure, including the village office, assessing the repair of water and sewer infrastructure, and restoring essential services such as fire protection — steps necessary to allow people to start to return safely, said the public safety ministry in a statement.
“Over the past year, Lytton residents have shown tremendous strength as the community has come together to recover from what was lost,” said Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth. “With new funding to help get essential services and infrastructure back up and running, the Village of Lytton is taking another step forward on this challenging journey of rebuilding,”
The town was destroyed in a wildfire almost a year ago, after days of record-breaking heat.
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The fire destroyed about 90 per cent of the village, leaving hundreds of homes and buildings razed.
The funds would also cover staffing for recovery-related municipal operations, including providing communication with residents, said the public safety ministry.
The work would prepare Lytton for the next phase of rebuilding, including planning and permitting, expected to start in the fall.
Earlier this year, debris removal and remediation work on all properties in Lytton were completed at a cost of $18.4 million. The province also provided $9.3 million to support operations of the village and early recovery.
The federal government had also announced $77 million in funding to rebuild Lytton in a way to make it more resilient to future fires. Out of this, $64 million will be used to help rebuild public buildings, $6 million has been set aside for residents to bring their homes up to the same standards, while small- and medium-sized businesses will get $7.2 million to help them restart.
— with files from The Canadian Press