The Mayor of Lytton says they’re hopeful work to start rebuilding can get underway shortly, now that the Village has decided not to renew its local State of Emergency.

Village council confirming the State of Local Emergency will end on June 19th, allowing those who had been burned out nearly two years earlier, to gain access to their properties once again.

It comes as Lytton Council voted on Wednesday night at a public meeting to end the local state of emergency that was put in place due to the June 2021 wildfire.

Mayor Denise O’Connor says most of the remediation and archaeological work is done, meaning several property owners could be close to getting shovel-ready.

“Those people that have that in place and they are ready to start rebuilding, there will be some, we should be seeing that within the next couple of months, I would think, I would hope.”

However, she concedes they still don’t know how many may come back.

“Those conversations still happen. Some people know what they are doing, some people are still undecided and some people have moved on, unfortunately.”

O’Connor noting temporary housing right now is a major challenge.

“Even for guests, visitors, or construction workers coming to town, it is an issue. We don’t have that available for people right now so those people that are living elsewhere,” said O’Connor. “Unfortunately, until there is something for them to come back to, that is where they are.”

Work to get other services, such as a temporary medical facility, a village hall, and a permanent grocery store, have already been underway.

The rebuild in Lytton has been two years in the making due to concerns about the toxic soil left over by the fire, as well as archaeological work.

Work to get other services, such as a temporary medical facility, a village hall, and a permanent grocery store, have already been underway.

The fire sparked during the 2021 heat dome, left two dead, and saw around 90 per cent of Lytton destroyed, displacing around 250 people.