With the arrival of equipment signalling the apparent inevitability that Baxter Bridge will soon be demolished, residents are renewing their efforts to have the historic structure spared from the wrecking ball.
The one-lane truss wooden bridge on Trinity Valley Road east of Enderby is being replaced by a two-lane steel and concrete bridge, which has been built just upstream of the old bridge over the Shuswap River.
A group of local residents have gotten together to push for Baxter Bridge to to be kept as a pedestrian crossing after the new bridge is opened, but the Ministry of Transportation has so far stuck to its plan to demolish the 75-year-old structure, citing safety concerns with the bridge that has seen its lifespan as a load-bearing bridge expire, according to the ministry.
A rally at Baxter Bridge was held in April with residents displaying signs reading "Save Baxter Bridge." Up to 110 residents took part in that demonstration.
And on Tuesday morning, June 3, protesters again gathered at the bridge to call for it it be saved.
Greg Robinson, who has lived near Baxter Bridge for 50 years, said Tuesday that cranes arrived at the site late last week. He believes the cranes are there to destroy Baxter Bridge, as the new bridge has been built and is only undergoing road work, and "you don't need a crane for that."
Robinson said the protesters were gathering peacefully and were not blocking any demolition work, which hasn't yet begun.
The ministry has been tight-lipped about when exactly it will demolish Baxter Bridge, though the arrival of the cranes suggests it could be soon. Another indication is that as of last week, Baxter Bridge has been blocked off and traffic is being diverted to the new bridge, meaning Baxter is no longer being relied upon for vehicles to cross the river.
"Up until Thursday last week, dump trucks and logging trucks were driving across (Baxter) bridge. Now they're saying it's unsafe for pedestrians," Robinson said, touching upon a point often raised by the protesters that if the bridge has been bearing heavy vehicles, it should be able to bear pedestrians.
In an email to The Morning Star on Wednesday, the ministry said there is currently no official date for the removal of Baxter Bridge.
Robinson said the group feels "totally unheard," having contacted the ministry and elected officials in the area and receiving minimal or no response.
Robinson says the group has gotten the Ministry of Environment involved because there are bats nesting in the wooden bridge which he says won't nest in the new concrete bridge.
Keeping Baxter Bridge as a pedestrian bridge is an idea that was at one point considered by the ministry.
Associated Engineering is the firm that is carrying out the bridge replacement and in a 2023 report, the firm said the Ministry of Transportation was "inclined to preserve the original Baxter Bridge for future pedestrian and cyclist use, when the replacement bridge is constructed."
It is unclear when or why the ministry abandoned that plan, but it has held to its plan of demolishing the bridge throughout the entire time the group of residents has been calling for the bridge's preservation.
The ministry previously said that leaving Baxter Bridge in place would be unsafe and pose additional liability for the ministry, while adding maintenance costs that are "prohibitive related to ensuring the structure is safe." On Wednesday it again said that maintaining the bridge is too expensive and a replacement of the bridge is the most affordable option for taxpayers.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 4 p.m. June 4 to include a response from the Ministry of Transportation and Transit.
