Residents of Skwlx te Secwepemculecw still displaced from summer wildfire

Many Skwlx te Secwepemculecw residents in British Columbia displaced by the Bush Creek East wildfire in August are still living in rental units or hotel rooms, unable to return home.

The community about 55 kilometres east of Kamloopslost 31 homes when the blaze ripped though the community, affectingabout 80 residentsof the 390 band members, according to Kukpi7 (Chief) James Tomma.

Tomma and many of his family members lost their homes in the fire.

When Tomma spoke with CBCIndigenoushe was living in a hotel room in Kamloops with his wife, and cat named Smudge. They've been there about four months.

"After a while the walls are pretty small, they're too close together for me," said Tomma,

"Smudge's getting a little stir crazy and he loves travelling in hotel rooms but he's telling us enough's enough."

But Tomma said he won't start rebuilding his home which hebought 43 years ago when he was 20 until the last displaced band member is home.

"My people first, before myself," said Tomma.

As of Dec. 4, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) has provided over $211 million to First Nations across the country for responseand recovery efforts from the 2023 wildfire season, through the Emergency Management Assistance Program (EMAP), according to the department.

EMAP provides funding to First Nations communitiesas well as eligible organizations to financially assist communities preparing for or recovering from natural disasters.

The funding can include recovery efforts such as rebuilding infrastructure and homes, debris removal, recovery assessments, and evacuation costs like hotel rooms and temporary housing.

ISCsaid it is currently supporting 12 B.C. First Nations from the 2023 wildfire season.

Since 2021,ISCsaid ithas provided over $75.6 million directly to B.C. First Nations for on-reserve wildfire response and recovery.

Tomma said there is no price tag yet for rebuilding the destroyed homes, but the band is looking at getting modular homes in the community as a midterm solution while construction happens.

"That's our rapid housing initiative," said Tomma.

He said the idea is to get people back into the community sooner, while their homes are being rebuilt, and the modular homes will become community assets once people are rehoused.

Tomma said the band wants to get the modularhomes around February or March, but couldn't say how many would be brought in or how many people they would house.

"We don't have a really good solid picture on the actual cost of everything," said Tomma.

"We don't know until we start and nearing the completion of our rapid housing initiative then we'll know the bottom dollar and how much we need at that time to pay for it," he said.

Dream home lost

Honey Williams August and her husband Spi7uwe Sqalemclost their home this summer.

The couple has been renting a place in Blind Bay, about 16 kilometres from Skwlx te Secwepemculecw, since the fire.

"We don't really know what's coming next, but we're just taking things a day at a time," said Williams August.

Williams August and Sqalemchad built theirdream home, doing much of the work themselves.They didn't have insurance.

Williams August said they lost just about everything in the fire. A couple cast iron pans and her grandmother's wedding ring was recovered.

Williams August said there is still a lot of cleaning up to do andthey'rewaiting to hear what supports will come from the community.

"We're just waiting, which feels like the right thing to do because we're still just processing," said Williams August.