Climate Reflections in B.C.’s Southern Interior | Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions

From recovery to resilience: on-the-ground stories of climate action across the Southern Interior

Over the past decade, the Southern Interior has been at the forefront of climate emergencies in British Columbia. The communities of Lytton, West Kelowna, Monte Lake, and Merritt have experienced devastating floods, wildfires, and heat waves. What were once considered once-in-a-generation events have become alarmingly routine. On a recent tour of the region, I had the opportunity to connect with partners we work with at PICS, community organizations, and elected officials to better understand how people are navigating challenges and building resilience in the face of a changing climate.

The Lytton fire four years on — what can we learn?

The road from Hope to Lytton weaves its way up the Fraser River Canyon on the Trans-Canada Highway. As I began the drive, I was reminded that the Fraser River has been at the heart of the territories of the Stó:lo, Nlaka’pamux, and Tŝilhqot’in Nations for millennia—a place of connectivity and abundance, but also of rugged energy and steep terrain.

As I arrived in Lytton, I was greeted by Mayor Denise O’Connor in the village’s temporary office, one of many improvised spaces serving a community still in recovery. In 2021, 90 per cent of Lytton, including the original village hall, was destroyed by wildfire. Mayor O’Connor offered me a tour of the community, where reconstruction has followed an uneven pace. As we drove through the empty streets, she explained recovery has been slow, and that “building back better” remains an elusive goal.

Many residents, particularly Elders, seniors, and those without insurance, have not returned. Legal disputes with insurers, the high cost of rebuilding, and the trauma of displacement have taken a heavy toll. As of Spring 2025, 18 homes were under construction, but no commercial buildings had yet been confirmed.

And yet, Mayor O’Connor remains committed to Lytton’s future. She says she believes, as do other local leaders, that Lytton’s story holds important lessons, not only about the devastating pace of climate change, but in the systemic barriers communities face in trying to recover.
Lytton’s experience is a powerful reminder of what’s at stake—and how climate impacts can overwhelm even the most tight-knit communities when recovery systems fall short. But just north, the story shifts toward proactive solutions and long-term resilience.

A rare surviving house in Lytton, B.C. sits behind a brown wooden fence with a metal chain-link gate. Two satellite dishes sit on the roof. A plaque above the white door reads “Miracle House.” A Canada flag hangs on the fence, with planters perched on top. Mountains with low clouds rise in the distance. — A rare surviving house in Lytton, B.C

A collage of 29 photos featuring fire trucks, firefighters, and emergency vehicles that responded to the 2021 Lytton fires. Each image has a white border, arranged against a black background. — A rare surviving house in Lytton, B.C

In Lillooet, First Nation communities take the lead on climate action

Continuing my journey up the Fraser Canyon, I arrived in Lillooet to connect with two PICS-funded, First Nations-led climate projects. Increasingly, First Nation communities are leading the way in climate action, and this is no different in the Southern Interior of B.C.

In Xaxl’ip, I was introduced to Chief Darrell Bob Sr. and met with the hydrogen project team to discuss the community’s plan for a green hydrogen production facility. Green hydrogen is made by combining electricity and water – both abundant in Xaxl’ip territory. Once green hydrogen fuel is created, it can be sold as a 100 per cent fossil-fuel-free replacement in many commercial and industrial applications.

“Hydrogen fuel is now a well-established fuel in many places in the world. In British Columbia, we have a tremendous opportunity to catch up and develop green hydrogen as we decarbonize our society.”

– Deanna Ambrose, Salish Elements

A cream-coloured sign reads “Xaxli’p First Nation – Time to Get Fire Smart,” with two howling wolf silhouettes flanking the Nation's name. Behind it lies a green field, scattered buildings, and a mountain with a rocky peak and forested base. — Xaxl’ip territory

Deanna Ambrose, Xaxli’p Chief Darrell Bob Sr., and Daniel Arbour sit at a conference table smiling at the camera. Deanna wears a blue sweater, white circular earrings, and her long brown hair half-up. Chief Bob wears a grey zip-up jacket, hands in his pockets, with a red travel mug in front of him. Daniel wears a blue button-up shirt, with clasped hands. A whiteboard is behind them, with papers and infographics on the table. — Xaxl’ip territory

Next, I travelled across the river and further up the canyon, where I met the Ancestral Food System team at Xwísten First Nation. The Nation recently secured a PICS Climate Internship grant, which allowed them to hire a summer intern. Taylor Griffiths has been living and working in the community, supporting a range of initiatives including creating a local weather database; researching the effects of climate change on traditional plants; harvesting traditional foods in and around the community; and developing an annual harvesting guide for traditional foods and medicines.

When I visited, the team was hard at work building a community garden and developing the community farm, while preparing for forest-based learning activities through the summer.

Three people stand in a semicircle of raised garden beds with visible plant growth. A navy blue pickup is parked nearby, with a white barn and mountains in the background. On the left is PICS intern Taylor Grittins in a white T-shirt, jeans, and a white baseball hat. The middle person wears a flannel shirt, jeans, boots, and a white baseball hat. On the right, a woman in gardening gloves wears dark pants, a beige T-shirt, and a green baseball cap.

“The whole area around Lillooet used to be much more food self-sufficient up until a generation ago. With the way the world is going, people want to re-establish food abundance in the territory while understanding how climate trends will impact food production.”

– Matthew Davidson, Agriculture/Food Systems Coordinator, Xwísten First Nation

Photo: The Xwísten team in the community garden, including PICS intern Taylor Griffiths on the far left.

These projects in the Lillooet region show how climate leadership rooted in Indigenous Knowledges and community priorities can generate both innovation and local resilience.

Re-thinking food and health systems in Kamloops and Kelowna

Leaving the Fraser Canyon, I had the opportunity to learn about two other PICS-supported projects in the Southern Interior that are also advancing climate action through food systems and community wellbeing.

A sunrise over Kamloops casts an orange glow across the sky. City lights begin to flicker off below, with dark mountain silhouettes contrasting against the bright sky. The aerial view is from a mountain across the valley. — Sunrise over Kamloops, B.C.

My next stop was the Kamloops Food Policy Council (KFPC), where a PICS Climate Intern was brought on board to support KFPC’s five-year assessment research project. The research will evaluate KFPC’s impact on local food access in the Kamloops region while exploring how regionalizing the local food system can enhance sustainability, reduce emissions, preserve biodiversity, and strengthen resilience in the face of climate-related disruptions, such as wildfires.

As Co-Executive Directors Saeideh (Sadie) Hejazi and Kent Fawcett explained, demand for local food programs is rising— driven not only by challenges with food affordability , but by growing awareness of how trade, tariffs, and climate change can affect the global food system.

Three people stand in front of a reddish-orange building with a neon “The Stir” sign in the window. From left to right: Daniel wears jeans, a brown belt, and a grey button-up shirt, hands in his pockets. Kent Fawcett leans against the wall in dark clothes, with shaggy blonde hair. Saeideh Hejazi wears light-wash jeans, a black T-shirt, and an open denim shirt. She has a short bob and dark-rimmed glasses. — Daniel Arbour with Co-Executive Directors Kent Fawcett and Saeideh Hejazi

“Our organization wants to help the region build up food production but also increase food security for residents at risk. We envision and work towards a regenerative, sovereign, and just food system for the broader Kamloops and Southern Interior area.”

– Saeideh Hejazi, Co-Executive Director, Kamloops Food Policy Council

This systemic approach to community resilience was also reflected in a climate internship project led by Interior Health. As the Okanagan faces more frequent and severe heat, Interior Health is working steadily to improve its extreme temperature response plans— particularly for vulnerable populations.

“Climate impacts on health are growing in the Okanagan,” says Glory Apantaku, Climate and health scientist at Interior Health, “and it is important to assess and evaluate our approaches to how we respond to emergencies such as heat domes, and how we can continuously improve moving forward.”

Three people stand on a rooftop in the Okanagan, smiling with the Thompson River, city buildings, and mountains behind them. Daniel is on the left, hands clasped, wearing brown dress shoes. In the middle is Julian Mallinson, bald with a grey beard, wearing glasses, a lanyard, and black sneakers. On the right, Glory Apatanku wears black dress pants, a green T-shirt tucked in, and a colorful scarf covering part of her ID lanyard. She wears sunglasses and a watch. — Daniel Arbour with Interior Health’s Julian Mallinson and Glory Apantaku

Reflections from the Southern Interior Local Government Association annual conference

To cap off an incredible journey through the Southern Interior, PICS Communication Manager Cindy MacDougall and I attended the Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA) conference in Merritt. There, we tended a booth for two days and delivered a climate workshop for elected officials, in partnership with the Community Energy Association.

Daniel and Cindy stand in front of two banners indoors—one for the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, the other for the Southern Interior Local Government Association. Daniel wears a dark blue shirt with a black blazer and name tag. Cindy, shorter in height, wears a mustard-yellow top with a grey cardigan and glasses. Both smile at the camera, with a conference setting behind them. — Daniel Arbour, PICS partnerships and grants specialist, and Cindy MacDougall, PICS communications manager

To better understand how elected officials are navigating climate challenges, we asked them to reflect on the top climate action priorities in their communities. Key takeaways from our conversations included:

Climate denialism and/or conspiracies continue to hamper political momentum in the region, even if elected officials believe most residents support the need for greater climate action.
There is a pressing need for clearer, region-specific climate data; deeper understanding of the Southern Interior’s economic risks and opportunities; and practical, scalable climate solutions that can grow rather than constrain the local economy.
Climate action in rural areas and the Interior need to be informed by local priorities, experiences, and knowledges. Too often, provincial policies can be developed without adequate input from those living on the front lines of climate change.

Across the region, I saw the same tensions and hopes reflected in every conversation—from the slow rebuild in Lytton, to the bold vision for community-led green hydrogen in Xaxl’ip, to food security and health system initiatives in Kamloops, X’wisten and the Okanagan. These projects are deeply rooted in place, and together they signal a powerful shift toward transformative locally-led climate resilience.

As the pace and complexity of climate impacts accelerates, the work being done across the Southern Interior reminds us that effective solutions come from the ground up. And just as importantly, they rely on supportive higher-level policies and funding initiatives, as well as a collective willingness to learn from the experiences of places like Lytton to ensure that no community has to face the future alone.

Local voices reflect on lessons from Lytton:

Daniel Arbour is the partnerships and grants specialist with the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions.