ROTHENBURGER – Burning of our beloved old Red Bridge is an outrage

I’M SPITTING MAD today. I’m mad at the stupidity of some in our society, and angry we don’t seem to be able to do anything about it.

The Red Bridge is lost to us. We’re not supposed to jump to conclusions because, of course, an investigation will be done, but am I going out on a limb in suspecting the fire that destroyed it early today (Sept 19, 2024) wasn’t caused by accident or spontaneous combustion?

I’m lost as to what the motive might have been. Since the blaze that proved fatal to the historic structure came a couple of days after another one that was put out, it’s safe to say this wasn’t the result of some drug- or alcohol-crazed moment of insanity, or just an unfortunate accident.

We can only hope such suspicions turn out to be unfounded but time will tell.

For a few, losing the bridge isn’t a big deal. Some people hated the Red Bridge. I heard some radio guy make a stupendously silly comment about it this morning. He hated the bridge, he said, but its loss will be “an inconvenience.”

It’s a lot more than that. The Red Bridge was an important historic icon in our community, maybe the most important of them all. Yes, it was too narrow for modern traffic, and maintenance was always an issue. Drivers crept across it hugging the concrete no-posts and hoping their mirrors wouldn’t collide with those of the vehicles coming in the opposite direction.

But that was part of its charm. Its 17-ft. width wasn’t built for 4X4s or even sedans. It was a remainder of the horse-and-buggy days, and its wooden structure and design were really quite beautiful. It was with us for 88 years.

(Video: Mel Rothenburger)

The Red Bridge we all knew wasn’t the first one built there. The original one at that site went up in 1887 to replace a small ferry that connected the opposite shores of the river. After a flood damaged the bridge, another took its place in 1912. That one was destroyed by fire in 1934, and the final Red Bridge was completed in 1936.

The location of the bridge is key to linking the two sides of the South Thompson River. The bridge was supposed to last 30 years but far exceeded that expectation. At some point, it would have no longer been a viable crossing for vehicles but the hope was it could have been maintained for pedestrian use. At one time, there were plans to build a new vehicular bridge close to it as an extension of Sixth Avenue but it was shelved.

The public’s relationship with the bridge in modern times has always been love-hate but I came down solidly on the side of love. Even the drive across it was an affirmation that certain things endure, a reminder of its oldness, its narrowness, of a different time in our city’s history. It was one of the last bridges of that design remaining in the province.

I once wrote a column complaining when the wooden planks on its deck were replaced with asphalt. The planks had to be replaced every year and the asphalt was supposed to be better, but the bridge was a moving thing and the asphalt broke up quickly. It was due for another repaving job any time now.

Anyway, Art Charbonneau, who was then the B.C. transportation minister, gifted me with a piece of planking from the bridge, with a nice little plaque on it. I still have it in my office here at home. I also proudly possess a print of a Steve Mennie painting that shows the CN Rail bridge and the Red Bridge. It’s called Bridges.

During my time as mayor, I promoted heritage designation for the bridge, a goal that was eventually achieved. And a dozen years ago I was invited to take part in a little ceremony at the Lorne Street side where the Heritage Commission and Communities in Bloom Committee were installing a planted area with information, a heritage plaque and a kiosk to mark the bridge’s significance.

That bridge had a character all its own. One of my most memorable experiences with it was riding my horse across it on the final leg of one of the Cattle Drives of the ‘90s events. It was scary but exciting.

Officially, the fire that destroyed it is being deemed “suspicious.” OK. Its loss is an inconvenience, yes. A tragedy, yes. But more than that, it’s an outrage, and I hope if someone responsible is caught, they pay dearly in the justice system for the terrible thing they’ve done. They should be locked up.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.