Two children pull a tree sapling with a wagon through Lytton, B.C., in an advertisement for ATCO, published May 11, 2022.

An ATCO commercial shot in fire-ravaged Lytton is sparking controversy among residents.

The video shows two young girls planting walking through the town carrying a tree to plant in the school yard. The song "Walking on Sunshine" plays during the scene.

For some Lytton residents, it was tone deaf and appalling to see the burned out streets, where many aren't allowed without extensive protections and approval, used for an advertisement.

"People are really upset," Tricia Thorpe, a rural resident nearby whose property is being rebuilt after the June 30, 2021, wildfire.

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"They show these little girls walking merrily on the sidewalk with a wagon and a tree. If you look at Lytton, it still looks like it was hit with a bomb. (ATCO) used the tragedy for their own gain."

Calgary-based ATCO Group responded to social media criticism of the advertisement with a repeated statement on social media, which reads: "The story is entirely fictional, and a portion of this video was filmed in Lytton, B.C., where a wildfire devastated the town in 2021. ATCO has been working with the town to provide meaningful support for their recovery and rebuilding."

The company paid the $50,000 for using the filming location, which Thorpe criticized as the mayor and council "pimping out" the village.

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Former village resident Michelle Feist said she was "appalled" to see the commercial. Like Thorpe, she watched the council meeting where it was discussed. She described it as a note mentioned in passing toward the end of the meeting.

"The ad itself is incredibly tone deaf and offensive as a resident," she said.

Feist now lives in Williams Lake and she's only returned to Lytton once to "sift through her property" before it was covered by blue fencing, similar to the fencing that now blocks onlookers from outside the village boundary.

When she visited, she ventured out to stroll the streets despite the rules restricting her movements, she said it helped reconnect her to the village.

"It helped to restore my love of the place because I'd left in such a traumatic manner. The sun was out... and I felt connected again."

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But the advertisement felt like a violation and the irony of the song choice "Walking on Sunshine" isn't lost on her.

Lytton hit a new Canadian heat record on June 29, 2021, of 49.6 Celsius. The next day 90% of the village, along with much of the surrounding area including several First Nations communities, burned in a wildfire.

The village is still in the slow process of rebuilding. Crews are currently removing contaminated soil from the area, while the construction stage appears a long way from from breaking ground.

While Feist loves her home of Lytton, she can't say whether she'll ever return. The longer it takes for construction to start, the less likely she'll be to go back.

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