Residents of Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw still displaced from summer wildfire

Many Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw 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 Kamloops lost 31 homes when the blaze ripped though the community, affecting about 80 residents of the 390 band members, according to Ku̓kpi7 (Chief) James Tomma.

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

When Tomma spoke with CBC Indigenous he 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 he bought 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 response and recovery efforts from the 2023 wildfire season, through the Emergency Management Assistance Program (EMAP), according to the department.

EMAP provides funding to First Nations communities as 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.

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

Since 2021, ISC said it has provided over $75.6 million directly to B.C. First Nations for on-reserve wildfire response and recovery.

Kukpi7 (Chief) James Tomma stands over some burned objects in Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw. (Marcella Bernardo/CBC)

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 modular homes 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 Sqalemc lost their home this summer.

The couple has been renting a place in Blind Bay, about 16 kilometres from Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw, 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.

Spi7uew-Sqalemc stands on the roof of the house in Squilax, B.C., that the couple had been building for more than a decade. They lost their home, near Little Shuswap Lake, to the 2023 summer wildfires. (Supplied Photo)

Williams August and Sqalemc had built their dream 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 and they're waiting 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.