Safety upgrades underway in Kitchener’s Victoria Park

Work is underway to reinforce the Heritage Bridge in Kitchener’s Victoria Park and it’s hoped that once construction is complete, Roos Island will reopen to the public for the first time in almost a year.

The City of Kitchener blocked off access last April to facilitate the safety upgrades to reinforce the bridge’s structural integrity.

“Every two years we do an inspection of all of our bridges and our last inspection of this one was flagged to have some deficiencies, some safety issues with it, so we’re rehabbing and repairing that,” explained Chris Spere, the director of engineering for the City of Kitchener.

The pedestrian bridge is expected to reopen in early April.

After that, Spere said, there will some touch-ups done on Roos Island later in the spring to “clean up some of the vegetation and restore the bandshell.”

“I think it’ll look great,” he added. “The bridge is going to be open, free for use [and] no restrictions. The island is going to be open for the summer.”

Residents are also excited by that prospect.

“It’s one of the best places to feed the geese and the ducks,” said on neighbour.

Roos Island closure

Starting in the summer of 2022, people experiencing homelessness began setting up tents on Roos Island. At one point there was up to 60 people living there.

The last person living on Roos Island left in January 2024. The city told CTV News that they weren’t evicted and received appropriate care and shelter.

MORE: Timeline of the Roos Island encampment and closure

A city spokesperson confirms no one is currently living on Roos Island.

They also said staff will keeping an eye on the park to prevent a similar situation.

“We currently employ dedicated staff who regularly monitor all our parks for any safety concerns, including potential encampments,” the city’s statement read. “Our staff would work with individuals to ensure we connect them with any services they may need.”