Lytton's Main Street is shown in this file photo from after the Lytton Creek wildfire.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Denise O'Connor
June 14, 2023 - 7:30 AM
Lytton was burned to the ground nearly two years ago, but the insurance payout for its library and civic offices still hasn't been released.
The Thompson Nicola Regional District filed a civil suit against its own insurance company last week because it still hasn't been paid for its library and village hall in the community, according to BC Supreme Court files.
Deanna Campbell, corporate officer for the regional district, said the insurance company recommended the claim.
There's a two-year limit on insurance claims, so the new court file will extend that claim for another year to ensure the regional district can be reimbursed when it comes time to rebuild.
"Given how long it's taken for any rebuild plans to happen in Lytton, we're about to run out of that two-year limitation period," Campbell said. "So in order to preserve our rights to claim on any damage, we have to file a notice of claim."
The Lytton Creek wildfire ripped through much of the village on June 30, 2021. Lytton was ravaged by the blaze and the entire region was evacuated.
Campbell said the regional district doesn't have an estimate for the cost of a rebuild yet, even two years after the building was destroyed.
The regional district has been serving Lytton with a mobile library since fall 2022. It expects to create a five-year plan for a library rebuild, according to the regional district's planning documents.
"We don't even have an accurate assessment of how much the rebuild would cost. Our insurance would cover the rebuild, but we don't even know how much that would be," she said. "I think there's some work being done right now looking at what remains of the site, whether anything's salvageable and, if not, what the cost would be for rebuilding it from the ground-up."
There's no timeline yet available for when it will be replaced.
Court documents don't estimate the value of the former village hall and library.
The insurance company hasn't responded to the regional district in court.
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