The federal government is giving a total of $77-million to the Village of Lytton to help it rebuild as a fire-resistant and energy-efficient community.

International Development Minister, Harjit Sajjan, made the announcement at a gas station just outside Lytton that survived last year’s fire.

The Vancouver MP says $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.

“These investments will position Lytton as a leader, showing that sustainable, resilient, net-zero building is not the way of the future, it is the way today,” Sajjan said.

Two people were killed and much of the community of Lytton was destroyed when wildfire ripped through on June 30 of last year.

“From the pandemic to wildfires, atmospheric rivers and landslides, it’s been a devastating year for Lytton,” Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon MP, Brad Vis, added.

“Today’s announcement is a pretty big deal … I really do hope that this funding announcement today builds back our community in a way that will allow it to withstand future climate-related disasters.”

Sajjan, who also toured the Village of Lytton, noted last year’s disaster showed that fire can spread from one building to another. He says making buildings fire-resistant would benefit the whole community.

“Today’s support builds on our commitment to help the people of Lytton,” Sajjan added.

“With extreme weather fuelled by climate change, becoming more common, we need to work together as we doing here in Lytton to show we can rebuild in a better way, in a more resilient, greener and sustainable way, in a way that Lytton can be a model on how to rebuild after a climate change disaster.

Ottawa also announced last week it was advancing a $207-million payment to B.C. as it finalizes applications for the federal disaster assistance fund for communities affected by the wildfire season.

The village is hoping that residents will have access to their homes to start rebuilding by the end of September.

Mayor Jan Polderman noted though that it could take the better part of a decade to fully rebuild the village, pointing to other fire-ravaged communities like Slave Lake and Fort McMurray in Alberta, and Paradise, California.

“Generally speaking, you’re looking at a four- to eight-year timeline to have a community rebuilt,” he said.

– With files from The Canadian Press