‘Destructive behaviour:’ Ladysmith seeks provincial help for ongoing Banon Creek Rd. issues

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The Town says its staff have faced “increasingly volatile conditions” at the site, including large groups and “instances of intimidation, despite attending without protective equipment or security support.” Photo from the Banon Creek Rd. area on June 30, 2026. (Image Credit: Town of Ladysmith)

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In one incident, emergency responders were delayed while attempting to access the road, according to the Town.

On June 26, the Town sent a letter to Premier David Eby, forest minister Ravi Parmar, and Randene Neill, minister of water, land and resource stewardship, with an “urgent request for emergency enforcement and watershed protection” in the area, including more secure barriers, automated gates, and remote surveillance systems.

The watershed provides drinking water for approximately 12,000 people in the area, with the Town contending an area wildfire could have a catastrophic impact and put the watershed out of commission for a decade.

Beeston said they’ve been working with the province for a while on this situation, handing out eviction notices in May to people living in the area, and attempting to connect them with the appropriate resources to find housing.

Ladysmith-Oceanside Stephanie Higginson, Beeston noted, has been working behind the scenes to prioritize the problem, but Beeston emphasized that they are beyond the point of dialogue and action is needed now.

“We just moved into the highest level of water restrictions, we’re at drought level four, and the continued presence of unregulated human activity in that area is just too big of a risk for this community to take.”

Enhanced locking systems only increase tactics to remove them, Beeston said, while the wildfire risk is elevated with vandals using angle grinders and possibly even blowtorches on the gates.

Beeston also recognizes the difficulty in finding affordable housing, which is the motivation behind some of the backcountry campers.

“We’re in an impossible situation,” Beeston said. “We acknowledge the broader social complexity surrounding homelessness, but we cannot continue to use that as an excuse to tolerate dangerous and destructive behaviours. Compassion for unhoused people can’t always come at the expense of public safety, environmental protection, and basic security. Excusing dangerous actions due to the housing status of an individual is untenable.”

Numerous vehicles and RVs can be seen on side roads along the Banon Creek Rd., where approximately 60 people regularly live year-round. (Image Credit: Town of Ladysmith)

Resident Speaks

In an email sent to NanaimoNewsNOW two weeks after the gates were locked, a person who described themselves as a “long-term resident of the Banon Creek Crown land area” and wished to remain anonymous, described the locked gate as the “constructive eviction and entrapment of approximately 30–60 unhoused residents who have no realistic housing alternatives.”

They said those residents are now struggling to access food, employment, and medical care with the gate locked during the week, and cited a lack of accessible and affordable shelter alternatives.

“Much of the public discussion has unfairly reduced our entire community to the actions of a small number of irresponsible individuals,” said their statement. “Many residents here are respectful, clean, and responsible long-term occupants who have lived here for years and have nowhere else to go. Displacing us doesn’t solve homelessness, it pushes vulnerable people into more unstable and dangerous situations.”

The area resident reached out to the BC Civil Liberties Association about the issue, with the association submitting a letter to the Town and the B.C government regarding its concerns.

In the letter, the association advocating on behalf of the encampment didn’t dispute the issues of wildfire protection, watershed stewardship, and the public safety component being “legitimate governmental objectives.”

Still, the association has serious concerns about “procedural fairness, evidentiary basis, and potential improper purpose,” a lack of alternative housing options, and the potential dangers of those residents being unable to evacuate in the event of a wildfire if the access gates are locked.

B.C. government responds

In a statement provided to NanaimoNewsNOW, the housing and municipal affairs ministry stated encampments are “not a safe or suitable form of long-term shelter and create significant risks for people’s well-being.”

The ministry is aware of the situation on the Crown land in the Banon Creek area, contending it’s working with local partners to connect those currently living in the area with available shelter and supports.

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