Witchcraft Lake Boardwalk and Roadside Parking Area Removal

At the regular RDN Board meeting held November 12, 2019 the following decision was passed by the Regional Board:

That the existing roadside parking lot on Benson View Road and the floating boardwalk at Witchcraft Lake be permanently decommissioned.

Work is expected to be completed by the end of January (weather permitting). Stalker Excavating Ltd. has been awarded the work to remove the floating boardwalk, decommission the trail between the boardwalk and parking area, and decommission the road side parking along Benson View Road.

The RDN held a License of Occupation with the City of Nanaimo and a Permit with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to install and maintain the Witchcraft Lake trail head and parking area as the only formal public access point to Mount Benson Regional Park. Now, the new parking lot and trail head at 2761 Benson View Road serve as the primary access point to Mount Benson Regional Park and the surrounding recreational trails. This land was purchased by the RDN in early 2018 with the intent to provide parking and an improved trail head for the growing number of recreationalists visiting the Mount Benson area.