Workforce Accommodation

MV Isabelle X 

Woodfibre LNG is committed to avoiding impacts and maximizing local benefits for the community during the Project’s construction phase. Local workers from Squamish and the Sea to Sky Corridor travel to and from the Project site daily by boat, while workers from outside the region are housed on-site a floating worker accommodation called a floatel. The floatel is the workforce accommodation mandated in provincial and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) regulatory approvals, following an extensive community engagement process that took place between 2019 and 2023. The use of a floatel is a community-driven solution that meets the requests of the District of Squamish and the community to house non-local workers outside Squamish. The floatel was specifically selected to promote a safe and culturally inclusive work environment and to ensure no impacts on the Squamish housing market or community services and infrastructure.

.

A Partnership for Local Opportunity

Vancouver-based Bridgemans Services Group is working in a joint entity with Squamish Nation’s economic development arm, Nch’ḵay̓, to supply the floatel. Bridgemans has extensive experience providing floating workforce accommodation solutions for industrial projects in Canada and around the world. The Squamish Nation endorses Bridgemans as the project’s floatel operator, and Bridgemans is providing Squamish Nation members with access to training and employment while the floatel serves the Woodfibre LNG Project.

Premium Accommodations

The floatel, the MV Isabelle X, is moored at the Woodfibre LNG Project site, reducing the need for workers to transport to and from the site during their shift rotations. After their rotation, workers are transported to and from the floatel from the lower mainland. The floatel offers a premium live-work environment, including:

  • 652 guest rooms with private ensuites.
  • Catered dining and lunch areas.
  • Outdoor and sports lounge.
  • Meeting rooms and offices.
  • 8,000 square foot fitness facility.
  • Billiards and games room.
  • Laundry service.

State-of-the-art Technology

The MV Isabelle X is a modern, self-contained, 35,000-gross-ton vessel equipped with state-of-the-art sewage, water, and power services that meet or exceed Canadian and provincial regulations. The vessel incorporates numerous innovative technologies, including:

  • Renewable onshore electrical power sourced from BC Hydro.
  • Six industrial-sized electric heat pumps, a first for a vessel of this nature, allowing the MV Isabelle X to avoid using diesel boilers when connected to shore power.
  • A water treatment system that provides drinking water to residents via dispensers into reusable water bottles.
  • An onboard, state-of-the-art sewage treatment system featuring mechanical screening, ultrafiltration, and low-intensity UV. Treated sewage is then shipped to appropriate waste management facilities in B.C.

Safe and Inclusive

The floatel promotes safety and inclusiveness for a diverse workforce. All workers receive a welcome package outlining expected behaviours, sign a Project Code of Conduct, and adhere to Woodfibre LNG’s zero-tolerance policy on bullying and harassment. Specific safety and security measures include:

  • Controlled access with a turnstile and RFID card monitored by an attendant.
  • Onboard crew available for inspections 24/7.
  • A strict code of conduct detailing expected standards onboard.
  • A fire suppression system that meets all Canadian and international marine safety standards.
  • An onboard first aid clinic.

All workers on the floatel undergo mandatory, in-person cultural awareness and gender safety training delivered by Indigenous trainers for all Woodfibre LNG staff, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. Once construction of the Woodfibre LNG facility is complete, the floatel will be removed from the site, leaving the location in the same condition as it was prior to its arrival.