Mennonite Disaster Service is working on its second house in Lytton.
The process of rebuilding homes and community is frustratingly slow in Lytton, following a devastating fire which burnt most of the village to the ground four years ago.
But some progress is being made and several Christian groups are very much involved; one group is actually building houses and others have been supporting Lytton residents in various ways over the years.
Lytton is always one of Canada’s hot spots during the summer, but on June 29, 2021 it broke the Canadian record for highest temperature at 49.6C.
The next day more than 90 percent of the town was destroyed, including the fire hall, police station, grocery stores, restaurants, town hall and records, museum and about 100 homes. (St. Barnabas Anglican Church was one of the few buildings to survive. St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church, built in 1913, was destroyed.)
News reports since that time have consistently noted that the rebuilding process has been very slow, related to financial, archeological and other reasons.
Mennonite Disaster Service
Volunteers with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) built one new home in 2024 and are working on another one this spring; there may be more in the future.
The MDS workers are volunteers from across Canada, with several from this area. Photo: Duane Neufeld
A May 21 story by Michele Brunoro for CTV News noted:
About 40 percent of former residents had no insurance. Many others were underinsured.
Those are the people that Mennonite Disaster Service volunteers, who come from throughout BC and across Canada, are helping. . . .
“It’s pretty special. You form relationships with these folks. You’re really helping them from a very traumatic difficult time to a place where they can call it home again,” explained Port Moody’s Duane Neufeld, one of those involved in the MDS project.
Neufeld, who said his work is propelled by his faith, explained that the builds have not come without challenges.
“There’s no services. There’s no Home Depot nearby. There’s no Rona. So, we had to figure all those logistics out,” said Neufeld.
A total of 11 homes have been rebuilt in Lytton; go here for the news video and full story. Neufeld has written reports for his home church, Eagle Ridge Bible Fellowship.
Owen Collings and Patsy Gessey moved into the first MDS-built house.
The first MDS house was built for Owen Collings and his wife Patsy Gessey. They spoke with MDS for an article earlier this year:
Government officials conducted a home visit in late October and confirmed that the house met both fire-resilient and net zero ready standards.
Lucas Coletta, a project leader in Local Energy Efficient Partnerships with Natural Resources Canada, stated that Collings and Gessey’s house will be “one of the first fire-resilient, net zero new homes in Canada.”
Coletta hopes Collings and Gessey’s house design will serve as an inspiration for “the highest level of wildfire resilient housing that can be constructed in the Jasper rebuild” – referring to the Alberta town’s recovery from last July’s wildfire, the largest to hit Jasper National Park in a century.
Collings and Gessey received their first grant payment, approximately CAN $66,000, in mid-January. A week later, they signed a contract for solar panels, to be installed in March.
“It all happened so fast, and it’s all just wonderful,” said Gessey. “Thank you, MDS… we’re really happy in our house.”
Go here for the full article.
A May 7 article by Tyler Olsen in Fraser Valley Current also reported on the MDS work:
Unless you count the coffee, no one on this job site is getting paid. Depending on the crew, some might be using their own vacation time to volunteer building a home with the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS).
Mark Rempel lifts a piece of plywood into place, gives a wave, and steps off the platform to greet his crew’s unannounced visitor with a smile and handshake.
Rempel lives in Chilliwack and spent decades in Langley’s high schools, where he taught shop and later served as principal of Langley Fundamental Middle and High School. He retired nine years ago only to start a new career as a volunteer home builder with the MDS. Today, he is the man in charge of coordinating the Mennonite Disaster Service’s response in Lytton.
Go here for the full article.
Fraser Lands Church
Fraser Lands Church sent a team of 39 people to Lytton May 17.
One Vancouver Church has been working with the people of Lytton since the time of the fire; Fraser Lands Church elder Nicholas Lai wrote to me recently:
Yes, our ‘Help for Lytton’ ministry team went to Lytton last weekend. We had a team of 39 members there on Saturday May 17 to conduct a Children’s Carnival during their Mayday Events.
Ten members stayed until Sunday to help in their second annual Canyon Cruise Car Rally (a fundraising event started in 2024 to raise funds for the rebuilding of Lytton). Along with two Elders from Lytton First Nation, I was asked to pray and bless that particular event – truly an honour.
Since the wildfire that destroyed 90 percent of Lytton on June 30, 2021, Fraser Lands Church has made over 30 trips to help in the rebuilding and recovery of the community. We started supporting Lytton by collecting and donating food and household goods to the residents who were affected by the wildfires.
Subsequently we were involved in helping their community activities such as reunion gatherings, the Mayday Events and River Festival. We have also provided Christmas hampers and Easter gift boxes for families and schoolchildren.
Young people enjoying the Children’s Carnival in Lytton.
We are continuing our assistance and visitation with a few displaced Lyttonites living in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. It’s hard for us to imagine what these people have gone through since they lost their homes and belongings in the fire, but we’re thankful for their trust in sharing their heart wrenching stories with us.
No doubt, financial assistance is a big part of the recovery, but there are many layers in their recovery. The intent of our visits is to show them that we care.
It involves spending time listening to their stories, spreading some joy with our presence, blessing them with our time and love – we’re extending God’s kingdom. We learned that helping people is not an easy job. It takes time, patience, sensitivity, persistence, discernment, kindness and most of all love.
It’s taking a long time for the rebuilding of Lytton. However, our involvement in Lytton is for the long haul. We are privileged to be a small part of their rebuilding and recovery.
Fraser Lands’ next ministry trip will be August 30, helping Lytton in their River Festival.
Love First Nations Ministry
Rev. Peter Park of New Beginnings Baptist Church is Chief Executive Director of Love First Nations Ministry.
A number of other churches and ministries have also helped out in Lytton, many of them through Love First Nations Ministry.
Here is how they describe their work:
Love First Nations Ministry (LFNM) began its missionary presence in the First Nations communities of Lillooet and Lytton in 2007, even before officially receiving government recognition as a registered charity. Initially referred to as the ‘Korean Team’ and later the ‘Fraser Valley Korean Team,’ LFNM was comprised entirely of members from Korean ethnic churches.
However, in 2012, the ministry embraced a multicultural vision with the addition of Faith Fellowship Baptist Church, marking the beginning of a broader and more inclusive mission. Until 2017, LFNM focused its efforts on reaching First Nations communities in and around Lillooet.
Since 2018, LFNM has concentrated its outreach on First Nations communities in Lytton, collaborating closely with local organizations such as Lytton First Nation, Stein Valley Nlakapamux School, AG Market, Lytton Elementary Daycare and Helping Hands.
In the aftermath of the tragic fire on June 30, 2021, which devastated the Lytton community, LFNM expanded its programs and initiatives to bring healing and hope to those affected. This effort inspired many local churches, organizations and individuals to join LFNM’s mission, often without seeking public recognition for their contributions.
In 2022, LFNM further extended its partnerships, organizing summer kids’ camps and community service projects in collaboration with Siska Indian Band, Westside, Nicomen Indian Band, Kanaka Bar Indian Band, Scuppha Indian Band and Kumsheen School.
LFNM maintains a biweekly outreach team to serve the communities in Lytton and facilitates monthly pastors’ prayer meetings to uphold accountability and commitment to this ministry. Additionally, LFNM hosts a monthly worship service at Siska Indian Band on the first Sunday of each month at 5 pm. At its core, LFNM is driven by missionary churches united in their love and dedication to serving the souls of the First Nations.
The following partner churches actively support LFNM’s mission in 2024:
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- Abbotsford Missional Vision Church (Abbotsford)
- Vancouver Dream Church (Burnaby)
- Faith Fellowship Baptist Church (Vancouver)
- LifePlace Mission Church (Port Coquitlam)
- My Beloved Church (Burnaby)
- Myanmar Canadian Fellowship Church (Surrey)
- Logos Life Church (Seattle)
- SouthRidge Church (Langley)
- Yedalm Evangelical Church (Surrey)
- 신림제일교회 (Sillim First Church) (Seoul, South Korea)
In the immediate aftermath of the fire, groups such as Samaritan’s Purse, ADRA Canada (Seventh-Day Adventists) and Alongside Hope (Anglican) also provided a significant amount of aid and support for people affected by the fire.