Nearly five years after the village of Lytton, B.C., was destroyed by a wildfire, its mayor is calling for changes to the province’s Heritage Conservation Act after archaeological work during the rebuild cost residents extra time and money.

Mayor Denise O’Connor said she had to hire an archaeologist to develop a plan for her to rebuild her home, costing about $20,000. While the village came up with a grant to help recoup some of that money, she was still out of pocket for the rest. 

That was the case for many residents who wanted to rebuild. 

And the cost, O’Connor said, can be prohibitive. 

“We’re providing grants for people rebuilding, but as we look to develop, and new people are coming in, that sort of thing, the money is a concern,” she said. 

WATCH | Denise O’Connor moves into new home 4 years after fire:

Lytton mayor moves to new home 4 years after devastating wildfire

Almost four years after a wildfire destroyed most of Lytton, the village is rebuilding. CBC’s Jenifer Norwell reports on the mayor’s move into her new home after years of waiting and rebuilding.

That’s why some B.C. Interior communities are pushing for changes to the Heritage Conservation Act — the legislation created to protect “heritage property” in B.C. 

If a property owner or someone working on the property comes across something of archaeological or cultural interest, they must stop work and contact B.C.’s Archaeology Branch immediately. The province suggests getting in touch with a nearby university’s archaeology or anthropology department, or calling a professional consulting anthropologist. 

But when archaeological work needs to happen on a property, the property owner foots the bill, as per the act.

O’Connor said she’d like to see more clear timelines when it comes to building where archaeological findings were uncovered, as well as funding to support people forced to pay thousands for archaeological and legal services.

But more importantly, she said she wants local representatives involved in conversations about archaeological work and development.

“In Lytton here, we were never formally spoken to or had discussions with the province,” O’Connor said. “It’s [about] having those conversations, having discussion with our local representatives.”

At its council meeting on Feb. 3, Kamloops city council approved a resolution, to be submitted to the Southern Interior Local Government Association, asking the province to make sure senior representatives from local governments are “formally included in discussions and decision-making related to the review, reform, and implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), reconciliation policy, archaeology processes, and any replacement or reform of the Heritage Conservation Act.”

That came just a couple of weeks after a B.C. lawyer went to the media to warn the public about what happens when they find cultural items on their land after her client uncovered two skulls on their property while digging a garden.

First Nations have long called for changes to the act, according to Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc Kúkwpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir. 

“This recent discovery [in Kamloops] has offered yet another opportunity to reassess the current regulatory approach to protecting and managing Indigenous heritage sites on private land of which Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc is willing to engage in advancing respectful dialogue that incorporates Indigenous perspectives, ethical responsibilities, and an understanding of Indigenous values as part of respectful  coexistence,” Casimir said in a statement on Jan. 20. 

The province was planning to bring forward changes to the act this spring, but Forests Minister Ravi Parmar has previously said the issue requires more consultation before meaningful changes can be made. 

In a statement to CBC News on Feb. 24, Parmar said he realizes a new Heritage Conservation Act is needed.

The minister said local governments have been engaging with the province when it comes to modernizing the act since 2022. He said that over the past four years, 364 local government representatives have participated in various engagement sessions.

“The province continues to be open to one-to-one conversations with and receiving written submissions from local governments, and we’re working on further engagement opportunities with local governments going forward, including two more sessions in March,” Parmar said.