'Huge loss': Replacement of historic Kamloops Red Bridge destroyed by fire uncertain

What was left of the historic Red Bridge in Kamloops and floating debris were still smouldering Thursday afternoon after fire ripped through the wooden structure. It was not only the loss of a 90-year-old bridge, but also a connection between Kamloops and the Tk'emlups reserve dating back to the 1880s. "It is definitely a shock," Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir said. "The Red Bridge burning, it's a huge loss. There's a lot of shared history on both sides of the river." The first bridge was built in 1887, but it was damaged in a flood. The second stretch stood from 1912 to the 1930s when that one was burned. The third iteration has stood from 1936 until, Sept. 19, when it was destroyed. City councillor Stephen Karpuk said between 7,000 and 8,000 drivers cross the bridge every day. Chief Casimir said the impact of the loss of the bridge will not only affect commuters to and from the Mount Paul industrial park, but also recreational cyclists and pedestrians, along with people who live on the reserve coming into Kamloops. "It's sad that history is going to be gone," she said. "But we're also going to be looking at how we can have the immediate reconstruction at some point here." The First Nation will be working with the province and the city to plan for a replacement, acknowledging that it's still early. Some City officials spent Thursday trying to secure an emergency meeting with Transportation Minister Rob Fleming while at the Union of BC Municipalities convention in Vancouver. They weren't successful, but did learn an assistant deputy minister will oversee the issue while the election looms. The ministry had been in the midst of long-term rehabilitation planning before the fire took out the middle three spans. iNFOnews.ca asked the ministry if there will be a commitment to replacing the bridge. READ MORE: Second Kamloops bridge fire destroys three spans https://infotel.ca/newsitem/second-kamloops-bridge-fire-destroys-three-spans/it106551 "We are working with other agencies on the immediate impacts resulting from the fire and to plan next steps for clean-up and restoration. However, once the full extent of the damage is known, we will sit down with the City of Kamloops and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc to discuss long-term plans for the bridge to make sure people can get to where they need to go," minister Fleming said in a written statement. The Environment Ministry is also watching for impacts on the river, particularly for its potential effects on returning salmon. "Right now we know the Chinook are running up the stream, they're spawning. It's a huge impact that could potentially have long-term effects. It's still early, but we know we have excellent teams to ensure there's a cleanup," Chief Casimir said. Coun. Karpuk said the City is now working to address the immediate impact on traffic, with changes to light schedules as more vehicles will head to the Trans-Canada bridge or the Halston Bridge. City staff are also looking at increasing bus frequency on major routes, while Coun. Karpuk floated the possibility of a park-and-ride program to shorten people's use of personal vehicles and create more demand on the bus system. "This is kind of a bridge we love to hate," he said. "We loved it because it was iconic, we loved it because it was sort of one of the symbols of our city, but man do we hate it when we had to cross it. A lot of emotions are pretty high today" READ MORE: Developer refutes First Nation claims at Tranquille site in Kamloops https://infotel.ca/inhome/developer-refutes-first-nation-claims-at-tranquille-site-in-kamloops/it106541 The narrow bridge was known for its stressful crossing, especially in larger vehicles, made worse by the seemingly impossible task of repairing its potholes every year. It's also know for its historic imagery and for some, despite the safety risks, for thrill-seeking leaps into the river. "We're going to have to do what we did in COVID. We're going to have to pivot, we're going to have to innovate and we know the capacity is there to do that," Coun. Karpuk said. "We'll deal with the situation. Just take a deep breath, have a little patience, be kind to the person who's trying to merge. It's going to be difficult for a while." He said the City was hoping to get a funding commitment from the Ministry of Transportation to make up for the costs needed to adapt to the lost bridge before the writ drops Saturday. So far that hasn't happened. Karpuk, who's deputy mayor for September, made an emergency trip back to Kamloops from the UBCM convention Vancouver to deal with the bridge collapse. Because of the restrictions placed on Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, Karpuk is currently the City's spokesperson. Pioneer Park is closed, along with Rivers Trail from there to Riverside Park. CN Rail didn't respond to a request from comment from iNFOnews.ca, but it appears rail traffic has been allowed to pass through along the river, suggesting the what's left of the bridge is not compromised above the tracks. Fire chief Ken Uzeloc said so far it looks like the fire started in the middle of the bridge. No fires were located on either shoreline. He said crews keep dousing the smouldering bridge and the debris floating down river throughout the day. Ministry of Transportation crews have been at the scene assessing the remaining structure, while Ministry of Environment crews were set to start cleaning up the debris from the river, Coun. Karpuk said. Heavy equipment is expected to help pull bridge pieces from the water. As for what caused the fire, not much is known. Kamloops RCMP are investigating and called the cause suspicious. Police have not yet commented on the jerry can found nearby or a witnesses claim they saw a man carrying one while watching the bridge smoulder near the Pioneer Park boat launch early Thursday morning. All boat launches have been closed as the clean up continues and boats have been ordered to stay off the South Thompson River in the area. To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry mailto:llandry@infonews.ca  or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . 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