The Lytton area Director for the Thompson-Nicola Regional District is casting doubt that the fire-ravaged Village of Lytton will be able to rise from the ashes.

Speaking at last week’s TNRD meeting, Tricia Thorpe, while in support of the Lytton Library returning sooner rather than later, is wanting to explore a variety of options.

She is questioning what form the library would be in and when and where the it would be located to best serve the community, before moving forward with the TNRD investing in a new building.

“This is the one I struggle with as I’m wading into waters…given the TNRD’s interest in this property, I think this is an uncomfortable part of the conversation – is the Village of Lytton viable?” Thorpe said.

Thorpe says she also does not think the village would be able to support itself financially after the rebuild.

“While the Village of Lytton has been promised government funding to rebuild, will they be able to cover the costs of day-to-day operations?”

She says it comes as the village struggled financially before the June 2021 wildfire, nearly three years ago, noting there are fewer and fewer people who appear interested in wanting to move back to Lytton and want to re-build.

“How will the village be able to carry on, once the province steps back? Are we hitching our cart to a dying pony?” Thorpe questioned.

“These are concerns and conversations that are taking place behind closed doors and I think the time has come where we all need to address these issues head-on, openly, and pragmatically.”

Thorpe was the only TNRD director to vote against moving ahead with a process to potentially rebuild the library in Lytton.

A year ago, Lytton Mayor Denise O’Connor told Radio NL she was hopeful that shovels will hit the ground in 2023.

This past summer, the village received approval to begin backfilling some properties with soil that were burned out. In November, O’Connor told Radio NL that a protest rally by residents in October  appeared to have led to some progress in the village’s two and a half year long rebuild.

Construction is underway on one house after a building permit was issued in late October, with more building permits expected to be issued this spring.