Former Lytton residents are rallying Wednesday to protest continual delays that they say have hampered their ability to rebuild more than two years after a devastating wildfire tore through the village in June 2021.

Mayor Denise O’Connor says costly archeological work is the latest roadblock for residents, and follows debris cleanup, foundation, and soil removals and backfilling.

The village was partially built on an ancient archeological site and burial ground and is protected under B.C.’s Heritage Conservation Act.

Village council awarded a provincially funded contract in March 2022 to the consulting firm AEW for archeological and heritage monitoring, which was formed in 2017 by the Nlaka’pamux Nation Tribal member communities.

A statement from AEW says the “assertion that archeology has delayed the recovery and remediation is a false narrative based on misinformation,” noting that the work has been done concurrently with recovery, remediation and backfilling.

It says the monitoring has resulted in the recovery of more than 7,000 stone artifacts, some dating back as much as 7,500 years, and that ancestral remains were also identified in four locations within the village.

“The mitigation and protection of the ancestors will be determined in consultation with Nlaka’pamux communities and the Nlaka’pamux Nation Tribal Council,” the statement said.

“Acknowledging and respecting this heritage is also an important step on the path to reconciliation. Rebuilding from the fire provides an opportunity to do things differently.”

Attendees at Wednesday’s rally began marching at noon, holding signs with slogans including, “Stop the delays,” “I want my town back,” “Where has all the money gone?” and “Enough is enough.”

O’Connor said residents recognize the area is of archeological and culture significance to the First Nation.

“The people of the village of Lytton know that and respect that and don’t deny that, but is there not some way that processes can be speeded up?” she asked, noting she had not been informed of the findings.

She said Wednesday’s rally, which was initiated by residents, aims to raise awareness about the slow rebuilding process, noting many residents feel “totally neglected” since the fire destroyed their homes.

“We’ve just heard on the news that other areas in B.C. are allowed to get on with their clean-up. Lytton’s clean-up didn’t start for a full year after,” O’Connor said. “We fear other communities will be rebuilt before us.”

“We feel like Lytton has become an archaeology project, not a rebuild project. There have been archaeology monitors for the debris clean-up, for the foundation removals, for the soil removal, and for the backfilling. Now we’re hearing we may need monitors when we rebuild and it could cost us thousands of dollars more.

Jackie Tegart as MLA has been, and continues to be, a strong advocate for the #Lytton community. https://t.co/SxKAGCrkJ8

— Denise O’Connor (@deed5) October 18, 2023

O’Connor said many residents in the community feel “totally neglected” since the fire destroyed their homes.

It took a “full year” to begin debris cleanup in Lytton and residents fear other communities will be rebuilt first, she said.

O’Connor says residents understand archeology is important but they believe the village has become an archeology project not a rebuild project – and they feel “their ancestors would want them to be home by now.”

The mayor said though she is unaware of the number of people who have abandoned their hope of returning to the community, there are still others who want to rebuild.

“It was an unprecedented event, and yet they seem to be going through a normal process for everything, like there seems to be nothing to expedite it for the people,” she said.

“I’m afraid there’s going to be others who give up if things don’t proceed.”

On June 30, 2021, just one day after Lytton hit a Canadian temperature record of 49.6 Celsius, a wildfire swept through the village, levelling almost the entire Fraser Canyon community.

– With files from Radio NL