“A lot of people died here,” said Tim McLoed, manager for the Tranquille-on-the-Lake project.
We are standing in the decrepit foyer of an aged hospital. The crisp September air feels particularity Halloweeny, but soon the spook factor fades and is replaced by historical fascination.
I’m gathered with a small group participating in new guided tunnel tour “Crossroads”, a collaboration between local theatre group Chimera and the owners of the fabled Tranquille property. Located 15 minutes from Kamloops, the once completely self-sufficient community has a complex history beginning in the early 1900’s and even before that as a farm.
But tonight, it’s 1958. After over fifty years as one of the leading tuberculous centres in the country, the sanitarium is set to close and the fight is on to determine what’s to be done with the vast property.
It currently sits at 500 acres with over 40 abandoned buildings, some of which have been restored by the new owners or by film crews throughout the years. But it was once comprised of thousands of acres of ranch land and state of the art medical facilities.
Interactive actors lead us through the buildings, peppering in their characters’ individual stories with historical context. Scripted scenes play out, capturing the emotion and connection people had with this now almost-forgotten place.
We tour several buildings, including a section of the vast underground tunnel network. Over 40 kilometers stretch underground, once used to transport food, laundry, patients and their bodies. Only a small portion is now deemed safe for the public tours.
The characters’ situations lend insight into the looming decision, underscored with reproductions of media stories and audio clips from the time period. Worth over $22 million at the time, everyone from the provincial government to the Kamloops Board of Trade to the local nurses had an opinion for the future of the complex.
We learn the facilities opened once again in 1959, this time as a home for the mentally challenged. Some of the characters stay, some move on. It’s a crossroad for both the individuals and the community.
It was only after the roving theatre production ended we learned the total number of people who drew their last breath there was over 1600. And for every one of those tragic stories there are thousands more, many much more positive — from people who recovered there, people who doctored there, people who ranched there and even people who fell in love there.
“Many soldiers from World War One came here sick with TB and married local nurses or other workers,” said McLeod, adding one of the best parts of opening the tunnels and property up for tours has been collecting the stories from people returning to the property or from people sharing their relatives’ narrative.
Tranquille’s recent history has been no less engaging.
“We are at a crossroad now too,” said Annette McLoed, manager at Tranquille-on-the-Lake.
Future plans have been delayed but are impressive in their scale. A progressive housing development surrounded by acres of urban farm on the shores of Kamloops Lake are still in the blueprint stages, but it’s hoped it will one day be home to over 4000 people. In the meantime, the investors have launched Tranquille Farm Fresh, rent the property for corporate functions and as a film venue, host educational programs and family friendly events.
“It will still be about health, wellness and sustainability. It’s really returning the property to its roots,” she said.
“Crossroads” will be performed several times a night on Friday, Saturday and Sunday until November 1. Tickets are available through Kamloops Box Office.
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