Work continues to rebuild the Village of Lytton after the devastating fire of 2021 that destroyed 90% of the structures in downtown Lytton., and an important step was taken this week as Council gave their approval to proceed with a Community Hub project.
Council’s endorsement of the project follows the February 19, 2025 funding announcement from the federal Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities confirming an investment of over $25 million for the Community Hub project through the Green and Inclusive Buildings Program. This project funding falls under the $64 million commitment from the federal government in June 2022 towards rebuilding Lytton through the construction of net-zero and fire-resistant public buildings.
Mayor Denise O’Connor says this something that will not only be fun for the community, but she also hopes it will be an economic driver. “Something that new people who want to move to Lytton, we’ll have some kind of a facility there for them.”
“Our municipality, we did have some insurance, but as we know trying to replace buildings under insurance, it’s just not always feasible. So we are incredibly appreciative of the federal government to be able to do this. They’ve gone out of their way to support us. This program is 100% covered to rebuild these buildings where typically it’s a shared cost. So, we have to take advantage of it and move ahead with this project.”
With Council’s endorsement, the Village can proceed with additional planning, including issuing a request for proposals for an architect to design the building. The designs will incorporate feedback from the community and Project Advisory Committee. The Village will continue discussions with neighbouring First Nations, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, and other potential partners around shared uses and sustainable operations for the Community Hub.
In terms of when the project might get underway, O’Connor is hopeful that will happen soon. “Winter is just about over, so wouldn’t it be nice if we could just get started right away. We have to go through the process of issuing RFPs for architect to design it and then bring it back to the community for some some consultation. So, I mean, I would hope that at least part of it is started by this summer. I guess we’ll see.”
The concept plan for the Community Hub, located on Fraser Street in Lytton, includes the following components:
• Community-sized pool/ fire reservoir
• Festival/gathering/local markets/recreation space and related storage
• Accessible bathrooms
• Museum/Library (if the Thompson–Nicola Regional District reestablishes library services in Lytton)
• Multi-purpose room/ Net Zero learning space
• Multi-purpose space/ future flex space
O’Connor says that overall the rebuild is continuing to move along. “There are a number of homes where people moved into their home just before Christmas, and more coming online all the time. I wish I knew up the top of my head how many houses are built, but I think it’s around 17 are either built. People have moved in. They have occupancy or very close to it, so things are moving. And it’s just so uplifting for everybody around the area to see the building happening.”
