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| North Coast MLA speaking as Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness outlined some of the measures in place towards Recovery plans for Lytton |
North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice made her first comments of the Spring Session of the BC Legislature on Thursday, speaking in the Legislature in her role as Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Planning towards funding for the Rebuild of the community of Lytton.
Much of the Village was destroyed during the wildfire season of 2021 and there has been some criticism of the government over the length of time it has taken towards the rebuild of the community.
The topic made for discussion this week with the conversation focused on the progress for Bill 2, The Municipalities Enabling and Validating Act which is the instrument the government is using towards the Lytton Recovery.
Ms. Rice spoke to the topic late afternoon on Thursday, through a Zoom connection from the North Coast Constituency.
We recognize the devastation in Lytton continues to be incredibly difficult for the residents of the village. I want to reassure residents that we're committed to working with the Lytton council and community to support their recovery. That's why our government has introduced legislative changes that will allow the Lytton council to repeal and replace bylaws that were destroyed in the wildfire.
Once passed, this bill will give Lytton the legal standing necessary to move forward with rebuilding the community. It's an important step that will have a huge impact on mitigating future bumps on the road to recovery.
We also announced yesterday that we're providing $8.36 million in funding to support the village with its ongoing operations and recovery. This funding will support fixing the water and wastewater systems, legal and governance issues, recovery consultation, debris removal, environmental and archeological remediation and more.
$2.1 million of this funding will support the village through three years of core operations, so they can focus on planning, recovery and rebuilding instead of having to generate revenue.
This funding is in addition to the $1 million we provided the village in December.
In my role as recovery liaison to Lytton's council, along with my colleague, the Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development, I take part in regular town halls with the community and work closely with Lytton's council to address issues as they arise to help speed up recovery efforts.
The Parliamentary Secretary paid tribute to the local Council and area First Nations leaders who she has met with through the process of recovery for the communities of the region, acknowledging the frustration that has come from the slow pace.
I've seen and heard about the challenges that Lytton is up against.
I want to thank the Lytton mayor and council and local First Nations leaders who welcomed me to their community recently. I appreciated meeting you face to face and seeing for myself the devastation you had experienced. Your leadership is commendable.
Now, I understand it's difficult to feel progress when you cannot necessarily see significant improvements to the environment.
People are understandably frustrated with the slow process of recovery. I want the people of Lytton to know that I hear you and that I see you. You are not alone.
And I want to assure Lytton that we're here to support them in the recovery and rebuilding, and this funding and legislation will do just that. Recovery in a disaster of this scale will be a long road, but know that we'll be here for you as we walk down that road together and build back even stronger.
The full discussion from the afternoon can be reviewed from the BC Legislature archive.
The Video of Ms. Rice's statement to the House can be viewed here at the 3:40 PM mark of the proceedings.
More notes on the work of MLA's in the Legislature can be reviewed from our archive page.
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