Latest news with #LyttonFirstNation
National Post
6 hours ago
- Climate
- National Post
Wildfire near Lytton, B.C., prompts local state of emergency, evacuation order
Article content The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has declared a local state of emergency for the Blue Sky Country region, and two evacuation orders have been issued due to an encroaching out-of-control wildfire near Lytton, B.C. Article content Three properties being threatened by the Izman Creek fire on Highway 12 at Laluwissan Creek have been ordered to evacuate as the blaze poses 'immediate danger to life.' Article content Article content The BC Wildfire Service says the Izman Creek wildfire near Highway 12 is about 25 hectares in size. Article content Article content Two properties being threatened by the Nikaiai Creek wildfire on Spencer Road South have also been ordered to evacuate. Article content The BC Wildfire Service says the Nikaia Creek wildfire is about six hectares in size and is one of more than 70 wildfires burning across the province. Article content It says crews, supported by firefighters from Lytton First Nation, made 'good progress' overnight, and they are now focused on the north and south flanks of the blaze. Article content The Thompson-Nicola Regional District also issued an evacuation alert Monday night for nine properties in the Harper Lake area near Chase, B.C., due to the rapidly growing Mount Scatchard wildfire. Article content Article content The blaze, which was discovered Monday and is about 35 hectares in size, also prompted the Neskonlith Indian Band to issue an evacuation order for 40 properties on Monday. Article content Article content It says northwest B.C. has cooler weather, as central and northeast B.C. are seeing warm seasonal temperatures. Article content 'Given the ongoing dry and warm conditions, there is an increase in the potential for wildfires with the risk for dry lightning,' it says. Article content About 85 per cent of the fires burning in B.C. are believed to be caused by lightning, while 15 per cent are believed to be human caused. Article content
CBC
a day ago
- Climate
- CBC
Wildfire near Lytton, B.C., prompts evacuation order, local state of emergency
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has declared a local state of emergency for the Blue Sky Country region due to an encroaching out-of-control wildfire near Lytton, B.C. It has also issued an evacuation order for two properties on Spencer Road South as the blaze poses "immediate danger to life." An evacuation order means those in the area are at risk and must leave immediately. The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says the Nikaia Creek wildfire is about six hectares in size and is one of more than 70 wildfires burning across the province. The fire was discovered on Monday and is currently out of control, which means it is spreading or anticipated to spread beyond its current perimeter. The BCWS says crews, supported by firefighters from Lytton First Nation, made "good progress" overnight and they are now focused on the north and south flanks of the blaze. The Lytton First Nation also issued an evacuation alert Monday evening for Papyum 27, Papyum 27A, Lytton 27B and Nohomeen 23 due to wildfire. An evacuation alert requires residents to be prepared to leave quickly on short notice, if necessary. The BCWS dashboard says hot and dry weather is expected to continue this week across most of the province. It says northwest B.C. has cooler weather, as central and northeast B.C. are seeing warm seasonal temperatures. But the dashboard says southern B.C. will see very hot weather conditions, with temperatures five to 10 degrees above seasonal averages. It says thunderstorms are also expected to increase provincewide, with lightning risk peaking Tuesday. "Given the ongoing dry and warm conditions, there is an increase in the potential for wildfires with the risk for dry lightning," it says. About 85 per cent of the fires burning in B.C. are believed to be caused by lightning, while 15 per cent are believed to be human-caused. It's been four years since a fast-moving wildfire destroyed the village of Lytton and killed two people on June 30, 2021. The fire burned down about 90 per cent of the village, as well as buildings in the nearby Lytton First Nation. Delays have dragged out the rebuilding process, but some residents have since returned and a few businesses have opened back up. The district is asking those who need emergency support services to register online at or call the TNRD Emergency Operations Centre at 250-377-7188 or toll-free at 1-866-377-7188. Those who need transportation assistance are asked to call TNRD at 250-377-7188.
Global News
a day ago
- Climate
- Global News
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Lytton, B.C. prompts evacuation orders, alerts
An out-of-control wildfire burning near the village of Lytton, B.C., has prompted an evacuation order for two properties and an alert for several others, but wildfire crews say they are getting the upper hand. The Thompson Nicola Regional District issued an evacuation order for two properties in the immediate vicinity of the flames just west of the village. The alert was issued by the Lytton First Nation for several properties west of the village. The Nikaia Creek fire burning on the other side of the river from Lytton is around 5.73 hectares in size. BC Wildfire Service was alerted to the fire Monday night and sent crews to work through the night. 'Crews are seeing really good success. They're establishing wet lines on both the north and the south flank and are hoping to see continued success today,' Taylor Shantz-Stewart with BC Wildfire Service said Tuesday. Story continues below advertisement The wildfire is suspected to be human-caused. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The Lytton ferry remains in operation. This latest wildfire marked the fourth anniversary of the fire that destroyed Lytton and claimed the lives of two people. 0:23 Wildfire near Chase, B.C. prompts evacuation order for First Nation Meanwhile, a wildfire near the village of Chase, B.C., was still measured at 35 hectares as of Monday night, however, it remains out of control. 'A unit crew — so 22 personnel — stayed on that fire overnight and were supported by two night vision helicopters,' Shantz-Stewart said. 'Again, seeing really good success, which is a testament to our crews and their hard work.' The Neskonlith Indian Band told CFJC News the fire near the band office on Chief Neskonlith Drive is 'spreading rapidly,' and it is asking residents to report to the Adams Lake Conference Centre in Chase. Story continues below advertisement The Chase fire is also classified as out of control and is suspected to be caused by humans. – with files from Amy Judd
CBC
3 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
'Indigenous Survivors Day': a day of reflection before Canada Day
Social Sharing Today, the city of Thunder Bay is proclaiming June 30th as "Indigenous Survivors Day" and hosting community events. Sixties Scoop survivor Troy Abromaitis said he created Indigenous Survivors Day to honour children who were taken from their families and lands. He said Thunder Bay is the first city to make it a full-day event, and hopes other communities will follow. Abromaitis said Canada Day represents celebrating a country that, for many Indigenous peoples, facilitated loss and separation from their families. "By placing Indigenous Survivors Day on June 30th, we invite Canadians to reflect before they celebrate Canada Day and to remember the children who are taken and why this matters," said Abromaitis, who is a member of the Nlaka'pamux Nation from Lytton First Nation in British Columbia. Thunder Bay is a city with painful truths to confront, he said. Choosing to lead the way in recognizing Indigenous Survivors Day is a sign of courage and growth, said Abromaitis. Other places have followed, including the provinces of British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, and municipalities including Victoria, Edmonton, Ottawa and Niagara Falls. "They give me hope that one day this will be a national day and a national movement," he said. While the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30 honours the victims and survivors of residential schools, Abromaitis said there was a need to recognize survivors of other campaigns that separated Indigenous children from their families. Indigenous Survivors Day is meant to fill that gap, he said. "This is not just about history. It's about healing what is still happening with regards to Sixties Scoop survivors, Millennium Scoop survivors, birth alerts and the over representation of children in the child welfare system who carry invisible pain," said Abromaitis. 10 years after apology, '60s Scoop survivors call for more support 11 days ago Duration 2:01 Ten years ago, Manitoba's premier issued an apology to the survivors of the Sixties Scoop. On Wednesday, survivors, advocates and community members gathered at St. John's Park in Winnipeg to heal, and call attention to injustices they say are continuing. The Sixties Scoop refers to the period between the 1950s and early 1990s during which thousands of Indigenous children in Canada were apprehended by child welfare agencies and placed with non-Indigenous foster or adoptive parents. Many children were subject to physical, emotional or sexual abuse while most lost connection to their cultures and languages. The systematic removal of First Nations children from their families from 1991 on is referred to as the Millennium Scoop. The practice resulted in more Indigenous children ending up in foster care than were sent to residential schools at their peak. The practice of birth alerts – where child welfare organizations notify hospitals when they believe a pregnant patient may be 'high risk' – led to newborns being taken from their parents for days, months or even years. The province ordered an end to birth alerts in 2022 after finding it disproportionately affected Indigenous and racialized families. Indigenous children made up 53.8 per cent of all children in foster care across the country, according to Statistics Canada data from the 2021 census. Thunder Bay Indigenous Survivors Day open to all David Wilkinson-Simard, a traditional knowledge keeper and member of the City of Thunder Bay's Indigenous Advisory Council, will be leading a sacred fire and closing reflections at a community gathering at Hillcrest Park. "This is a very new event, you know, even to Native people. And we're understanding where our place is too," he said. Wilkinson-Simard said the organizers have put out calls to drum groups and hand drummers to come celebrate. They plan to share traditional music and the stories behind some ceremonies at the gathering. Wilkinson-Simard, who is also a survivor of the Sixties Scoop, said Indigenous Survivors Day is a time to share stories about the ongoing challenges Indigenous people have gone through and to celebrate their survival. "It's an opportunity to help Canadians to understand why a lot of the things are the way they are and how First Nations are pulling themselves out of all of this," said Wilkinson-Simard. While events like the Sixties Scoop and residential schools are often thought of as long-passed historical events, he said they are ongoing issues because the impacts are still felt by survivors and subsequent intergenerational trauma. The event is open to all. Wilkinson-Simard said non-Indigenous participants are encouraged to attend. "I think that's very important that as a non-Indigenous person you take the opportunity and you also take the risk of going into and learning about something that might be uncomfortable for you at first. It also is an opportunity for you to understand the challenges that many First Nations have overcome and how you can champion them," he said.
CTV News
25-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
B.C.'s Lytton First Nation still rebuilding in more ways than one, four years after wildfire
New houses being built to replace the ones destroyed by the 2021 wildfire are seen at the Lytton First Nation, in Lytton, B.C., on June 25, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck For many members of the Indigenous community that was displaced after a wildfire tore through Lytton in the summer of 2021, the process of rebuilding and returning home is one with a difficult, dual nature. Alongside the B.C. village itself, multiple Lytton First Nation reserve lands – there are over 50 in the area – were ravaged by flames. The fire incinerated the ancestral land, uprooting the community and displacing hundreds of residents. Troy MacBeth Abromaitis, a member of the Nlaka'pamux Nation and Lytton First Nation who has been leading the rebuild process, says the fire was a double-blow for many of the residents. A large portion are all too familiar with the feeling of being torn from their home and their loved ones. Abromaitis says a substantial number of members from the Indigenous communities in and around that area would have been victims of either the residential school system or the '60s Scoop, a colonial practice that took place between the late 1950s and the early 1980s that saw swathes of Indigenous children removed from their families and placed into non-Indigenous homes or institutions. As a victim of the '60s Scoop himself, Abromaitis has been spearheading the reconnection process on all fronts in recent years. This June 30 not only marks four years since the devastating fire swept through the community, but also this year's iteration of Indigenous Survivor's Day, a day established by Abromaitis in 2023 to honour and uphold the survivors and call for better support. He began advocating for the day in 2023 to honour and support the Indigenous survivors after realizing, a few years into his own reconnection journey, that there was little help for those who needed it. By 2024, various municipalities across B.C. began to observe the date, now also known as National Blanket Ceremony Day, and it has since been taken up by provinces across the country. The work to establish Indigenous Survivor's Day coincided with the rebuild of the scorched reserve lands, with Abromaitis throwing himself into fundraising mode in the months after the blaze, raising the money needed to support the community with food and shelter. The Lytton First Nation has since teamed up with a modular housing supplier to provide temporary solutions to bring the displaced families home, with 39 homes, a community centre and a band office built thus far. Abromaitis, who only reconnected with his own First Nations roots six years ago when he was aged 35, 30 years after his separation, says he hopes to lean on his own experience to help the community reintegrate. Abromaitis says he finds it difficult to put into words how important it was to him that he was able to feel 'welcome, and part of the community,' when he returned, and he hopes to show the residents returning in the wake of the fire similar levels of warmth and support. 'I think that experience has given me the ability to better relate to the members of the community who are displaced. I know how to be extra sensitive, extra cautious and extra loving,' he says. The community is making progress and is about '75 per cent of the way' towards reaching what it had been prior to the blaze, says Abromaitis. The reserve land rebuild project is progressing quicker than that of the village itself, which in comparison is around '30 to 40 per cent' through its recovery phase, he adds. 'It took many helping hands to bring the community back to where it is right now,' says Abromaitis. 'I'm grateful to be one of those helping hands, to have moved the rebuild and recovery forward to where it is now. It helped bring me closer to community, and to my family.'
