Where the Red Bridge used to be is now a small historical sign reminding bystanders of what it once withstood.
On Sept. 19, 2024 around 3:45 a.m., the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) along with the Kamloops Fire Rescue were called to the Red Bridge, which was engulfed in flames.
Although responders battled the blaze, the bridge was destroyed. This was the second fire the bridge experienced in the cusp of two days.
The bridge was the property of the provincial government, but rebuilding is a multi-government project, taken on by the City of Kamloops, Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc and the province.
Besides being an iconic emblem of Kamloops, it represented much more to the community. As a connection between downtown Kamloops and Mount Paul Industrial park of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc reserve no. 1, the bridge provided a vital link for businesses across the Thompson.
On such business, Erwin’s Fine Baking and Deli on 419 Mt Paul Rd., has felt the impact of the lost overpass.
“We’re okay, but I want to be better than okay,” owner Robyn Haley tells The Wren.
The last location of Erwin’s Fine Baking and Deli used to be in downtown Kamloops, but eight years ago they picked a place near the Red Bridge due to the traffic flow on the street.
However, immediately after the fire, the deli experienced an 80 per cent drop in sales — a devastating change.
“I got in a really dark place last fall because I honestly didn’t know if I was going to have a home to live in by Christmas,” Robyn says. “That’s how bad it was.”
While the shop has adjusted to meet the lower demand by producing smaller batches or axing products that don’t sell, what the Haleys really need is an update on the status of the Red Bridge rebuild.
“In spite of all efforts to reach any level of government, any representative, we have crickets, nobody has deigned to respond to us in a year,” Haley says. “We are flying blind as a business, and we’ve been forced to make adjustments to our business as if the Red Bridge will never be there again, because we can’t get a straight answer.”
“As a business owner, directly impacted by this, I still do not have a clear sense from the provincial government that they are emphatically going to rebuild that bridge,” Haley adds.
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As a collaborative project, rebuilding involves more than one partner, and with more players comes complications, time and plenty of setbacks. The Wren asked around to learn more about the project, timeline and future of the Red Bridge.
More than a year after the fire, the rebuild remains in preliminary stages.
The first vital step of removing debris from the South Thompson River took until early spring of this year.
In late June, Urban Systems Limited was awarded the contract for planning and design to determine transportation plans over the South Thompson River.
According to the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MoTT) partners for this process include Argo Road Maintenance and their subcontractors, Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc and the City of Kamloops.
“This work includes investigating engineering designs, analyzing replacement options and evaluating potential improvements to the broader transportation network in the Kamloops area,” the transportation ministry said in a statement to The Wren.
The ministry also plans to assess the long-term traffic needs for the area.
Design options are expected to be shared with the public in spring 2026, the representative added.
Acknowledging the impact of the loss of the bridge, the ministry took steps to mitigate traffic issues, the representative said.
“These steps included extending the left-turn lane’s length at Mount Paul Way, eliminating the left turn into River Road and adjusting traffic signal timing,”
But more action and critically, information, is needed.
City Coun. Katie Neustaeter recognizes the urgency for this infrastructure and says the city is working along with the province to ensure a fast process, but even council doesn’t know the timeline.
In efforts to bring more information to light, council introduced a motion back in August of this year for a public report to be brought forward, so residents know where the process stands.
For folks like the Haleys, uncertain of the future, Neustaeter says she is confident the intention is to replace the bridge.
“If it was up to me, there would already be a bridge standing right now. I think I can say safely on behalf of council, the sooner the better, but a concrete timeline is still something that we are also waiting for. The province will ultimately determine what that can and should be.”
The city has been involved in the discussions about work placement of the bridge and what the future looks like, Neustaeter says.
“We were previously advocating for upgrades to the Red Bridge, and talking about what future use needs to look like, a lot of conversation around things like an active transportation line or a multi-use path.
“These dialogues were happening long before the loss of the Red Bridge — and that is the city’s job, to advocate for the needs of provincial infrastructure that exist within the city.”
Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc is also working to ensure a replacement.
“Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc is committed to working closely in collaboration with the City of Kamloops and the Ministry of Transportation and Transit on the replacement of the historic Red Bridge,” a representative tells The Wren in a statement.
“For 88 years, this bridge has played a vital role in linking Kamloops with the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc reserve and surrounding areas, and its replacement is critical.”
“The relationship, both the metaphor and the physical connection between Tkʼemlúps and Kamloops, is a critical connection,” Neustaeter adds.
For the ministry, the collaboration of the three levels of government reflects the commitment to restore the connection “while respecting cultural significance, community needs and long-term infrastructure planning.”
Businesses struggle since the loss of the Red Bridge
The process to provide an alternative to the Red Bridge is underway, and Neustaeter wants folks to know the city is doing what it can to move it along.
“We’re also eager to make sure that the public has as much information as they need, to feel reassured that nobody is sitting back on their heels and waiting for this to happen on its own,” she says. “We will continue to keep our foot on that gas pedal and make sure that this comes to fruition for our community.”
While the Haleys are working to bounce back, other businesses in the community are pivoting, moving or closing.
“I know of three businesses around here that have shut down, and two more that have moved, and several more that are trying to move,” Haley says.
As local and provincial governments work to streamline and speed up the process, residents can lend a hand to businesses along Mt. Paul Road by simply showing up.
“I don’t know that the average person really understands how much it means to a business like ours to have them come in on a regular basis,” Haley says.
How the bridge went up in flames is still an ongoing investigation. The RCMP asks anyone who has witnessed the fire or who might have video of the incident to please contact the Kamloops RCMP Detachment at 250-828-3000 and reference file 2024-31206.
