Introducing Cedar Valley Lodge

One of the most impressive and visible additions to the LNG Canada project in Kitimat is Cedar Valley Lodge, our newest and best-in-class worker accommodation centre.

Designed as a self-sufficient, inclusive and safe environment for a diverse workforce, the lodge is being opened in stages; its first group of residents took occupancy this summer. Cedar Valley Lodge will be fully operational later this year, with approximately 2,500 “heads in beds.” The 1.2 million square foot facility will ultimately accommodate 4,500 LNG Canada project workers at a time.

On August 20, LNG Canada and its prime contractor, JGC Fluor, hosted the Cedar Valley Lodge Community Preview, giving a small group of local First Nations, municipal leaders and media their first look inside the accommodation centre.

The physically-distanced event began with a welcoming statement and traditional blessing from Haisla Hereditary Chief Jake Duncan, followed by a much-anticipated reveal of the lodge’s centrepiece original artwork, Sky Canoe, by Haisla, Heiltsuk artist Paul Windsor.

Featured prominently in the lodge’s main lobby area, the large painting “represents and promotes cultural communication and acknowledgement of the people of the Haisla,” according to Windsor. “I included the main crests of the Haisla to represent the people and the environment here. I also kept at heart and understand the employment and economic benefits shared in these projects…My attempt was to bring positive energy through the use of movement, vibrancy and colour.”

During the lodge’s design phase, consultations were held with Indigenous communities, local communities and women working in the trades. Their input helped shape the accommodation’s final design, which reflects these core principles: respect for community; inclusivity; safety; self-sufficiency; and quality living.

Cedar Valley Lodge offers a complete array of amenities and services in one location—from onsite healthcare, to high-speed Internet service, expansive dining options, a full range of leisure and recreational opportunities—reducing the potential strain on Kitimat’s housing, public service and infrastructure capacities.

“We understand that large-scale resource development projects like ours can impact communities,” says Susannah Pierce, LNG Canada’s director of corporate affairs. “We listen closely to people in those communities, and their input has helped both inform the lodge’s design and create the supports required to provide safe and secure living accommodations, which we believe will benefit the community as well as Cedar Valley Lodge residents.”

It’s an opportune time to be opening the lodge, as the COVID-19 pandemic has understandably heightened concerns about workforce accommodation facilities. But this is not a typical lodge. No effort has been spared to ensure that the facility, its staff and its residents follow appropriate health and safety protocols.

For as long as required, Cedar Valley Lodge will feature extraordinary, stringent measures to protect residents, staff and the community at large from the risk of COVID-19 and other infectious disease. These include but are not limited to physical distancing in all areas of the facility and enhanced hygiene practices. All accommodation operators have enhanced their cleaning and sanitizing regiments, and hand washing is mandatory before people enter any dining room and lunchroom areas.

The lodge also features its own medical clinic that provides 24/7 care for occupational, non-occupational and mental health support. And all residential rooms in Cedar Valley Lodge are single occupancy, each with its own private shower and washroom.

“Living and working away from home and from families for weeks at a time can be a strain on workers,” says Steve Van Dusen, Lodging Operations Manager for JGC Fluor. “Their health and wellness are of paramount concern, and the extensive fitness and recreation facilities that will roll out over the next weeks and months will provide them comfort, relaxation and peace of mind.”