B.C. orders LNG workers be housed on ‘floatel’ near Squamish by end of week

A contentious floating hotel meant for workers of a liquified natural gas (LNG) construction project will soon be moored off the coast of Squamish, B.C., after the provincial government found employees were being housed in “unauthorized locations.”

The provincial Environmental Assessment Office has ordered Woodfibre LNG to relocate the some 330 workers to the so-called floatel by Friday at 5 p.m.

Woodfibre LNG brought in the MV Isabelle X, a Croatian-built former cruise ship, to house up to 650 non-local employees during construction of the multi-million dollar project.

Woodfibre LNG had yet to move the ship from Nanaimo or relocate any workers onto the floatel as it awaits a Temporary Use Permit from the District of Squamish.

However, the province’s inspection says any worker who did not live in the District of Squamish before Sept. 20, 2023, must be housed on the floatel.

Approximately 300 workers are living in a camp in Port Mellon and another 30 are staying at hotels in Squamish. Around 41 workers who live in a leased building in Squamish are exempt from the order  and 87 more workers live elsewhere.

Vancouver-based Bridgeman’s Services Group did a $100-million makeover of the ship so it could be a self-sufficient ship with dining, recreation and medical services on board.

1:58 Floating hotel proposed for Woodfibre LNG work site

The floatel has the approval of both the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office and the Squamish Nation. However, back in May, the District of Squamish council voted down the proposal, expressing concerns about potential safety issues for women in the community, increased traffic, waste management and potential natural hazards.

The council was set to meet Tuesday to discuss the floatel.

Woodfibre has previously said workers will be directly transported between the worksite and the floatel and would not have access to Squamish during their shifts.

The Squamish Nation also worked with the company to draft a comprehensive gender-based violence training program.

In a statement, Woodfibre LNG wrote the company will comply with the order.

“The company will prepare to proceed with moving the floatel to the project site to ensure compliance with the order and our regulatory conditions, and to use the floatel for workforce housing as had been intended,” the statement said.

The ship will now move from Nanaimo to Howe Sound where it will remain until the terminal is completed in 2027.

Woodfibre LNG is licensed to export about 2.1 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas a year for the next 40 years from a former pulp mill about seven kilometres south of Squamish.

— with files from Simon Little