The Banon Creek Forest Service Rd. will be closed during the week starting on May 19, with the Town of Ladysmith saying there are too many issues related to dumping and unauthorized camping in the well-used backcountry area. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

watershed worries

Ladysmith restricting vehicle access to ‘gateway to the natural world’

Mar 4, 2026 | 2:53 PM

LADYSMITH — Restrictions are coming to a popular wooded area south of Ladysmith, which the Town and Province say is being done to protect local watersheds from human-caused problems.

Starting on May 19, the access gate to the Banon Creek Forest Service Rd., located at the end of South Watts Rd. south of Ladsymith will be closed during the week, opening only on weekends and select holidays from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Mayor Deena Beeston told NanaimoNewsNOW ongoing issues around unauthorized camping and illegal dumping are increasing the risks of watershed contamination, as well as increasing the risk of wildfires.

“It’s a compromise to try and allow access to the people that do want to take advantage of the opportunities for recreation and being outside. Also, limiting access for people that are, unfortunately, having activities up there that are causing risk to the area and to the watershed.”

Piles of garbage, grass trimmings, and a burnt-out vehicle were all located along the Banon Creek Forest Service Rd., as well as active, make-shift campsites. Photo from March 4, 2026. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

watershed worries

Ladysmith restricting vehicle access to 'gateway to the natural world'

3h ago

bright flash

Fireball and sonic boom over Vancouver was likely meteor

2h ago

2021 chase

No charges for Ladysmith officers after suspect sustains 'serious dog bite injuries'

6h ago

The watersheds provide drinking water to the Town of Ladysmith, the Stz’uminus First Nation and Saltair, approximately 12,000 people.

Beeston said a major wildfire in the area could have devastating impacts on the area’s water supply, and the measures are meant to reduce the risks of human-caused wildfire starts.

She said entrenched encampments of unhoused people have been popping up in the area in recent years, and have really increased in the last year or so.

“It’s a statement on the reality of today’s world, in that we have got vulnerable people, and they’re attempting to meet their needs, and their inadvertantly increasing risk for everything from pollution, to fire, to endangering themselves…the more people that are accessing it, the more people that are doing it, the higher the risk, the more it increases.”

Well-established campsites could be seen right off the Banon Creek Forest Service Rd. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

She said they’re hoping this “pre-emptive action” with the closure of the service roads reduces the activity before the watershed is affected in a serious way.

“Let’s stop it before we have a major issue. That’s our watershed, and if there were a fire in that area, we’d be looking at a decade of trying to get it back to usable condition. It’s something we don’t want to wait until the problem is out of hand.”

Beeston said they’ve heard from many concerned citizens since this decision was made public, including families who’ve lived and recreated in the area for multiple generations.

She calls the area their “gateway to the natural world”, and recalls a time she herself would go into the area with her grandparents to look for a Christmas tree, something which is still permissible on-site, as long as you have a permit.

“There’s innumerable opportunities for things to do, and when that is part of your life, when that’s part of how you live, all of a sudden losing access to it, it’s devastating, it’s hard.”

She said following the service road closure, there will be a chance to restore the area to the condition it should be.

Beeston said after May 19, the area will still be available for non-motorized users to enjoy, and the closure of the Banon Creek Forest Service Rd. does not mean the area is off-limits. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

When asked if the Banon Creek Forest Service Rd. will ever fully reopen, Beeston said until people who are desperate for housing are able to find real, affordable accommodations, encampments in areas such as this will continue to pop up.

“It’s a process. In an ideal world, we’d be able to start housing people and give them opportunities where they’re not desperate and trying to find a place. If we can get to the point where we’re meeting people’s needs, then there wouldn’t be a need for them to be out looking for this kind of opportunity.”

The watershed, as well as the trails along Stocking Lake, Heart Lake and Banon Creek Falls, can still be accessed at any time for non-motorized users.

Hikers wanting to reach Banon Creek Falls during the week can use the Stocking Lake trail to reach the Banon Creek Service Rd, then proceed south to the spur road, which provides access to the trailhead.

The watershed exists outside of the Town’s boundaries and is managed under provincial timber licences, which are held by private and First Nation forestry operators.

While the Town does own the Holland Lake reservoirs and jointly owns the Stocking Lake reservoir, it does not directly control access to the watershed, and is working with the Province and local land managers to regulate the area.

The service road provides access to the Banon Creek watershed and the Holland Community Watershed. (Image Credit: Town of Ladysmith)

Subscribe to our daily news wrap. Local news delivered to your email inbox every evening. Stay up to date on everything Nanaimo and Oceanside.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook