Dear Editor,
The recovery of Lytton needs government help, no doubt about it. The whole village was destroyed, and with it a history that dates to the earliest beginnings of B.C
But as far as I know, I have not heard from the Premier about the rebuilding of Lytton. You wonder: would the same hold true for historic sites like Barkerville? Fort Steele? We all know what I am referring to. But I’ll spell it out. Destruction of Lytton by wildfire
Lytton’s museum is gone, and with it the precious artifacts that were so carefully assembled, and displayed with the skill of professionals; literally and figuratively, a labour of love. Gone in a puff of smoke. For those of us who’ve written about Lytton’s history, recording the incidents and accidents of those early days, the town’s characters, personalities, persons from every place on the globe — the good, the bad, and the ugly — have all left their mark.
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker; the hotelier and his family from Europe who built a fine hotel in the Fraser Canyon, creating a veritable oasis in this new rugged country. But we are not talking about the town, so much as the people who built what we enjoy today, and take for granted.
The people of Lytton deserve the full attention of those in government responsible for the restoration of our communities, like Lytton, which held so much that is essential to the life of the people there.
Residents have to rebuild: not only their homes, but what essentially amounts to a lifestyle. This takes courage and determination. Not everyone has that kind of courage and determination, when they are hit by loss like this, yet the courage and determination are there.
We can only hope that the provincial government, so far silent on the restoration of the community at large, will move to provide the support needed.
Esther Darlington
Ashcroft, B.C.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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