The Town of Ladysmith is moving ahead with the decommissioning of the abandoned Mackie Dam after an 11-month pause to protect salmon spawning in Holland Creek.
Removal work, carried out by Spider Mountain Excavators, began Aug. 14 and is expected to conclude Sept. 16.
During this time, a 1.5-kilometre section of the North Loop of the Holland Creek/Heart Lake Trail will be closed to the public. A detour route will be in place via Colonia Drive, Malone Road and Sixth Avenue to accommodate trail users.
The work is part of a $600,000 project funded through a $2.75-million provincial grant to remediate three weirs along Holland Creek, including Mackie Dam.
“The decommissioning of the abandoned Mackie Dam is an important step in protecting the long-term health of Holland Creek,” said Mayor Deena Beeston. “We know the temporary closure of part of the Holland Creek Trail may cause inconvenience, and we’re grateful for the community’s patience and understanding during this time.”
Mackie Dam — sometimes called the Mackie Road Dam — is a 3.8-metre-high and 12-metre-wide abandoned timber crib structure located on Holland Creek near the intersection of the Holland Creek Trail and Mackie Trail. It is being removed following a 2023 recommendation from BC Dam Safety.
In September 2024, the town decided to postpone the removal after the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship provided new information indicating that the timing of the work posed a significant threat to salmon in the creek.
The dam is believed to have been built more than 70 years ago by the Wellington Collieries Company for coal mining. At some point in the decades since, the town became the owner through its purchase of surrounding land.
A review by a professional engineer in fall 2023 found the structure did not meet current safety standards, posed a downstream hazard and acted as a fish barrier.
The project will involve removing built-up sediment, taking it off-site, dismantling the dam and restoring the area. Crews will use a barrier to temporarily divert the creek’s flow, keeping the work area dry as the dam is removed in stages.
A small number of trees will be removed during the process, with all wood offered to Stz’uminus First Nation. The work will not permanently impact recreation facilities, businesses or property values, and a nearby waterline will be identified and protected.
Once the dam is removed, the creek bed will be remediated, fish barriers replaced with habitat features, and natural species planted along the banks.
The Colonia Dam, located upstream of Mackie Dam, and the Holland Creek Intake further upstream will also undergo repairs as part of the same provincial grant. The Town expects this work, which will include concrete repairs, streambed improvements, signage, fencing and flood erosion protection, to take place in 2025 or 2026. Together with the Mackie Dam removal, the projects are intended to improve fish passage, meet dam safety standards and enhance the long-term health of Holland Creek.
