Province will rebuild Kamloops, B.C., bridge after fire, Eby says [Video]

Four days after a fire destroyed a historic bridge into Kamloops, B.C., officials are pondering the future of the site, with the leader of the B.C. NDP saying another bridge will “absolutely” be built. 

The Red Bridge, an 88-year-old wooden truss bridge that connected the City of Kamloops to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc reserve caught fire early last Thursday and collapsed into the South Thompson River. 

“We’re going to be replacing that bridge; and obviously, [it is] a huge inconvenience and a bit of a nightmare logistically for both the First Nation and the City of Kamloops,” B.C. NDP Leader David Eby told CBC News in an email.

The bridge was in bad repair, residents said. RCMP said they are investigating the fire as an arson. 

Many were concerned about the environmental effects of the bridge’s treated wood falling into the major waterway, though the City of Kamloops said the …