Members whose homes were destroyed by wildfire return to Okanagan Indian Band

Two Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) members returned home Tuesday after their homes were destroyed by the White Rock Lake Wildfire in 2021.

The OKIB was able to secure a pair of modular homes last year from Pine Ridge Modular Homes Limited, located in Burns Lake, despite extended wait times in the industry. The modular homes will be a place for members to reside until their permanent homes have been re-built.

“On behalf of OKIB members and council, I would like to welcome our band members back to the reserve,” said Chief Byron Louis. “The return of the first of our band members to their homes is a step towards a new beginning.”

The band says more members and their families will return to the community next week as the OKIB has secured more fully-insulated, self-contained mini-homes which are suitable for all four seasons. The mini-homes will be set up on their properties for them to reside in while their permanent residences are being re-constructed.

The band members’ return came at the conclusion of the site clean-up, which involved the removal of all debris that remained from the wildfire and the preparation of the sites for the construction of new homes.

A GoFundMe campaign is underway for anyone who wishes to donate towards the recovery effort. The campaign has raised just shy of $11,000 as of Tuesday afternoon. People can also contact recovery manager Jenelle Brewer at recoverymanager@okanagan.org to make a donation and receive an official tax receipt.