‘Floatel’ ship arrives in B.C. to house LNG workers, but local permit still needed
By The Canadian Press on January 5, 2024.
SQUAMISH, B.C. – A ship renovated to house more than 600 workers at a natural gas construction project north of Vancouver arrived in British Columbia waters this week after a 40-day journey from Estonia, where it had been in use by Ukrainian refugees. Bridgemans Services Group, the company contracted to provide the so-called “floatel,” or floating hotel, for workers at the Woodfibre LNG project near Squamish, B.C., shared a photo of the MV Isabelle in Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet on Wednesday. However, the mayor of Squamish said the district council has yet to consider the application for a temporary use permit to allow the plan to proceed. Armand Hurford said staff are reviewing the application for the “floatel” from Woodfibre LNG with a “public process” and council decision to follow. In an interview on Friday, the mayor said he isn’t sure when the application will be sent to council, but it hadn’t appeared on the schedule for the rest of this month. Hurford would not say whether he would support the plan when it comes time to vote, although he said the floating accommodation is a “creative solution” as Squamish grapples with a rental vacancy rate of just 0.7 per cent. “We knew that was the path they were going to pursue, but the last piece of that is the permitting required to do that, and you know, often the devil’s in the details.” The statement from Bridgemans said the “luxury” accommodation vessel was set to receive “final touches” at a North Vancouver shipyard, including games tables and equipment for a fitness facility, before making its way up Howe Sound to the site of the former pulp and paper mill seven kilometres southwest of Squamish. The ship recently housed people fleeing war in Ukraine,and a statement from Woodfibre LNG said it has since undergone an “extensive refit” to its environmental systems and its living, dining and recreation areas. Christine Kennedy, president of Woodfibre LNG, said it has always been a priority to ensure the facility’s construction “has as little impact on Squamish as possible.” The statement said floating accommodations alleviate concerns about the impacts of temporary workers on local housing and community services as well as the potential for environmental harms associated with “standard” work camps. The ship has sewage and water treatment systems, industrial-sized heat pumps, and it may be connected to the BC Hydro electricity grid. The treated sewage is to be shipped to waste management facilities in the province, the statement said. The MV Isabelle is set to be moored at the Woodfibre project site, so those living on board can walk to work, it added. The “floatel” includes catered dining areas, laundry rooms, a first aid clinic and a games room, in addition to the “state-of-the-art” fitness facility, it said. Bridgemans will have a crew on board at all times to inspect the ship and ensure fire, water and other safety systems meet Canadian regulations, it said. Woodfibre said it is planning for workers to start occupying the ship this spring. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2024. 18-17
