The mayor of Lytton is expecting more building permits to be issued “any day now” as the village takes another step towards rebuilding.
In October, the first building permit in the village was issued since Lytton was mostly destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire in 2021, but Mayor Denise O’Conor said there are likely more on the horizon.
“I know there's others that we should see issued any day now and there could be up to, and again it's not definite, up to 20 in the next few months,” O’Connor said.
“There are a number of people, as far as I know, that are in that process.”
The Village of Lytton is offering a 50 per cent reduction on building permit fees until the end of June to aid those wishing to rebuild.
O’Connor said about 60 per cent of the homes destroyed were uninsured, and the fee reduction may help incentivize some to begin the process of rebuilding.
“Apparently, about 60 per cent of the homes did not have insurance, and so if they're going to be rebuilding, they're going to be looking for funds to do so,” O’Connor said.
“There was a number that were underinsured. So they don't have that full money to rebuild what they had, but they are going to be rebuilding something.”
While a number of properties were sold following the wildfire, O’Connor said all those who are currently planning on constructing in the village are owners who lost their homes in 2021.
"They're the ones that are rebuilding right now — I haven't heard of any new ones yet," O'Connor said.
"A number of properties sold, but not certain what the plans are for those properties."
O’Connor said the last building to be constructed in Lytton was the Chinese History Museum, and she estimated the last home to be built was 25 years ago.
She said the residents who were issued the first building permit for a single-family home in October have begun construction.
More information on applying for a building permit is available online.
