Wildfire-ravaged Lytton won’t see power grid fix until next spring: Mayor

The mayor of Lytton says they’re looking at ways to help rebuild the wildfire-destroyed community faster but it could be next spring before electricity is fully restored.

Mayor Jan Polderman says he was told by BC Hydro that restoring the grid will take five months of planning and then eight months of building, and puts the estimated completion date as sometime in March 2023.

He adds they are looking at ways to make rebuilding easier, including bylaw changes.

They also want new building codes to make the exterior of buildings more fire resistant to help prevent a repeat of last June when fire swept through the village after record-breaking temperatures.

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      He says many think council is to blame for the delays, but he says there have been several factors preventing residents from having their homes rebuilt.

      Polderman says the November floods put all work on hold for months as highways were destroyed and impassable.

      Plus, he says financial pressures have been an issue. He says of the $26 million the government gave to fund the rebuild, $1.3 million needs to go back to GST, and there are misconceptions about how much money is needed to get the project done.

      In March, the province announced an additional $18 million to remove debris, conduct archeological work, and soil remediation for the village’s municipal and uninsured properties. However, those who were insured have said they are still waiting for their insurance to move ahead.

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      “Insurance companies have had the ability to start the remediation process on March 8, and you know, the village has very little control over how fast the insurance companies move.”

      “I think people think that, you know, the council is slowing [the] rebuild down. I don’t believe that’s the case at all. We have decisions that we’ve made to get people back in their houses as fast as possible.”

      According to the BC Assessment, 97 per cent of residential and business properties in the village had damage that resulted in a partial write-down of their property assessment for 2022. Of the 187 damaged properties, 66 per cent were damaged or destroyed.

      With files from Liza Yuzda

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