News from Town of Ladysmith

Stz'uminus First Nation begin upgrades to reactivate logging road in Town boundary

Key Points:

• The Town of Ladysmith is supporting Stz'uminus First Nation in facilitating access for the purposes of logging on Crown woodlots adjacent to our municipal boundary;

• The work includes reactivating a section of logging road within the Town’s boundary in the south end;
• Construction on the section of existing logging road within our boundary will take place Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.;
• The public is asked to obey signs and notices regarding restricted access for safety reasons;
• Stz'uminus will build a new single-track community trail that bypasses the road and follows a ridgeline. The path will connect to our broader trail network, including Stocking and Heart Lake as well as Holland Creek;
• This phase of work is getting underway the last week of October and continuing until mid-November, weather dependent.

A logging project on lands adjacent to the Town boundary in the south end is moving ahead and the public is being advised that early work has started to reactivate a section of logging road.

The Town supported Stz'uminus First Nation by approving their request as announced earlier this year in July.

Stz'uminus First Nation holds a license from the BC government to harvest Crown woodlots adjacent to Ladysmith's boundary and approached the Town for permission to reactivate and upgrade a former logging road located within our greenspace.

The road has been used by the community for recreation activities and the decision by Council was made following careful consideration of the request.

As part of the agreement to reactivate the road, Stz'uminus will build a new 365 metre community trail in Town parkland which follows a ridgeline and provides several scenic viewpoints. 

This new trail route bypasses the logging road and connects Russell Road to the Stocking Lake Trail, as well as to a broader network stretching to Heart Lake and the Holland Creek Trail loop.

The contractor hired by Stz'uminus is on site this week. Construction to upgrade the road within the Town's boundary will begin in the coming days and this phase is expected to continue until mid to late November depending on the weather.

Upgrades include widening the right-of-way and road surface, installation of culverts to restore and/or maintain natural drainage patterns and as well as resurfacing.

This work within our boundary may require some trees to be cut down by the contractor and any fallen timbers will become property of the Town.  The actual logging activities will not take place on municipal land.

Town staff will also continue to monitor the road construction ensuring the contractor completes the work in keeping with the terms set by Council.

Construction and road upgrades within the Town's boundary will only take place 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Signage has also been posted at all entrance points, including our news release and FAQs. The public is asked to obey signs and notices regarding restricted access for safety reasons.

Any questions regarding the new community trail can be directed to info@ladysmith.ca, or by calling Infrastructure Services at 250.245.6445.

Further inquiries specifically about the reactivated logging road can be sent to Erik Holbek by emailing erik@econ.ca.

For more updates on the Town of Ladysmith visit our website www.ladysmith.ca. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

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