A viewing platform and connected wooden stairs provide a much safer experience at Benson Creek Falls Regional Park, along with the impressive Ammonite Falls. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

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VIDEO: Stairs completed to Ammonite Falls, capping extensive upgrades to popular park

Mar 21, 2022 | 3:31 PM

NANAIMO — A new viewing platform and stairs at a popular park are officially open for hikers.

The $1.2 million dollar project at Benson Creek Falls Regional Park was done in two phases over recent years and drastically overhauled accessibility at the park.

Yann Gagnon, RDN manager of parks services, told NanaimoNewsNOW the enhancements improve safety for all users.

“The trail ended [at Ammonite falls] and there were a number of ropes installed by park users and it was really slippery with some really steep sections and it wasn’t really safe. Now we’ve significantly improved this and we can open up this viewing platform, people can experience the falls and before they weren’t able to.”

Upgrades to the park were substantial, including a new pre-fabricated bridge which was helicoptered into place in March 2021 after a short flight from a nearby property.

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The 90-foot long aluminum bridge spans Benson Creek and provides a much safer crossing.

It’s connected to a new set of stairs which replaced narrow switchbacks on the banks of the creek. Final upgrades focused on Ammonite Falls with a series of stairs and a large viewing platform.

“The site is really popular with hikers, dog walkers, families,” Gagnon said. “Now with the new bridge over Benson Creek…and with this viewing platform, I think we’ve got a destination site, I’m really proud of it and it’s a big improvement for the Regional District but for the Nanaimo area as well.”

The upgrades came in under budget.

Gagnon hopes this project will demonstrate what’s possible at other sites in the region.

“I feel like if this becomes the flagship, one of the icons of the Regional District parks, I’m really happy with that. I’m proud of the end result and I think if we can do more of this in the region, we’re definitely going to have a better, more inclusive park system and open it up to more people.”

Benson Creek Falls Regional Park is an 80-acre forested recreation area just west of Nanaimo city limits featuring flat and steep hiking and mountain biking trails dissected by Benson Creek.

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