It's official! We're in the final weeks of the construction stage of the new hospital. Substantial completion is on track for October 8th. Once that milestone is reached, it's full speed ahead to 2025! Furniture will be moved in, staff will get trained in the new space, and we'll be ready to welcome patients in January.

Keep scrolling to see what the facility looks like now.

Front exterior

Accessible parking and electric vehicle spots in front of the facility

Main Lobby
Left: Registration Desk. Right: Hallway with display case for artwork

Emergency Department

Emergency Department
Left: IV room. Right top: Exam room. Right bottom: Emergency signage with English and Dakelh.

Long-term Care
Left: Nurses station, common space. Right: Hallway to resident rooms.


Long-term Care
Hallways to rooms.

Long-term Care
Left: Tub room. Right: Resident room.

Healing Garden

Healing Garden

Healing Garden

We can't wait to welcome the community into the new Stuart Lake Hospital in January 2025. Until then, check back for project updates and let us know what you're most excited for in the comments!

Summer fun isn't keeping the Graham Team from moving full steam ahead on the new hospital and health centre in Fort St. James. Keep scrolling to check out this month's updated construction photos!

In the main entrance (pictured left) and lobby, we're starting to see more of the finishing details come together. Glass has gone up at the registration desk (pictured right) and placeholder signage has been added. As pictured in the lobby, display cases are installed and eagerly waiting to be filled with art.

If you've been following along with progress pictures, you've probably seen the main entrance and lobby already. There is another way into the building that we haven't showcased yet: the Emergency Department entrance!

Shown above (left) is the door to the Emergency triage and waiting area. On the right is the new fully-covered ambulance bay. The bay features two garage doors, one for entering with patients, and the other for the ambulance to exit once patient transfer is complete.

The Emergency Department's triage and waiting area are also getting to their final stages. Painting is almost complete and phones have been installed at the desk.

From the lobby, a left turn will take you down this hall to the new Lab area, complete with a passthrough window for easy hand-offs to the technicians. For photos of what the lab looks like inside, check out our progress photos from May. You will also notice that handrails have now been installed throughout the facility's hallways.

The Palliative Care suite is also in its final stages (pictured left). Large double doors connect the patient area to the family area, then out to the future Healing Garden. Early landscaping activities are underway for the Healing Garden, including this freshly-poured concrete (pictured right). Since the new hospital and healthcare centre will open in January, the bulk of gardening will take place in Spring/Summer 2025.

Another area that has seen noticeable progress over the past few months is the Long-Term Care wing. Shown above, the large common area is coming together with the installation of drum lighting and its built-in shelving in the lounge area. The open area underneath the drum lighting (right) will be the dining room for residents and their families. New appliances have now been installed in the adjoining kitchenette (left).

From the Long-Term dining area, residents and their loved ones will be able to access this partially-covered balcony (right). The raised patio will feature seating, gardens, and a beautiful view of the lake!

Individual long-term care rooms are also nearing completion. Even if you don't want to venture to the shared patio, each room features a large window to provide lots of natural light and beauty. The room above features a view of the forest.

We're in the final few months of construction before we get the keys and start moving equipment in and training staff! We can't wait to welcome the community into the new Stuart Lake Hospital in January 2025. Until then, check back for project updates and let us know what you're most excited for in the comments!

Community engagement has been a crucial part of the hospital replacement project since day one. Through online engagement, in-person events, and working groups, we gathered community input to ensure the new space would be welcoming and culturally safe for all.

We are so grateful for the feedback we’ve received along the way, and it has shaped how the hospital has been built.

When we asked what would make the hospital culturally safe, you said:

• Representation of the seasons of the year, keeping with Dakelh culture and worldview
• Representation of nature, since it’s healing and welcoming to all cultures
• Windows to the outside to provide natural light and views to the sky, lake, and trees
• Room to come together to drink, eat, celebrate, and grieve as a community
• Fire is important
• Circles on ceiling (representing drums) in spiritual spaces

So, what does that look like in practice?

Representation of the seasons and nature

The final colour palette for the facility showcases the beauty of Fort St. James’ transitioning seasons to identify different areas of the hospital. The hospital features two colour schemes inspired by warmth and frost. Visit our FAQ about the colour palette to learn more.

Other than bringing nature-inspired colours and finishes into the facility, the most exciting way we’re showcasing the natural beauty of Fort St James is by letting it speak for itself…

Windows and natural light

…and the best way to do that? Big, beautiful windows throughout the facility!

Natural light is a priority in the new build, so you’ll notice large windows with picturesque views throughout each department. Virtually all the windows in the new hospital feature views of the mountains, the lake, the forest, or gardens.

Pictured left to right: Hallway in Long Term Care, a window in Primary Care, the front entrance of the hospital, and a patient room in Long Term Care

Room to come together to celebrate and to grieve as a community (fire is important)

Bringing loved ones together is important, so we’ve ensured there’s lots of room to do so in the new hospital and health centre.

A Gathering Space has been created with tables and chairs to gather for meals, card games, or other activities – all built around a standalone fireplace.

In Long Term Care, there is a relaxing lounge in the common area for residents and family to visit each other, featuring a built-in fireplace.

Pictured left to right: Rendering of the Gathering Space, April progress photo of the Gathering Space, Rendering of the common lounge area in Long Term Care

A palliative care suite has been developed that has two separate spaces: one large room for patient care, and another adjoining room where family can stay with a kitchenette. The palliative suite opens onto the Healing Garden where culturally important plants and trees will grow. The doors in the palliative care suite are wide enough that a bed can be wheeled all the way out to enjoy the garden.

Pictured left to right: Family room in palliative care with adjoining patient room, Rendering of the Healing Garden

We understand how hard it can be when a loved one passes on. In the morgue, there is a quiet room where families can gather and take as much time as needed, surrounded by art.

Circles on ceiling and smudging in spiritual spaces

The Spiritual Space is available to all who visit the hospital, and the design has been heavily influenced by the feedback we received. In addition to a large window looking out to gardens, the space features circle shapes on the ceiling and has been constructed to accommodate smudging.

Rather than only adding the circle shapes in the Spiritual Space, lighting resembling drums has been added throughout the facility – especially in Long Term Care.

Pictured left to right: Rendering of the Spiritual Space, April progress photo of the Spiritual Space, Rendering of Long Term Care dining area

Thank you to everyone who has shared their input on the hospital replacement project so far! Soon, we will begin the process to select art for the facility. If you are interested in joining our art committee, please reach out to letstalkSLH@northernhealth.ca.

Christine (our Communications & Community Engagement Liaison) has had a busy month getting out into the community and sharing updates on the new hospital build. Here are some highlights from May:

Northern Health Leadership Forum

To kick off the month, our team had the opportunity to showcase the Stuart Lake Hospital Replacement Project alongside the Mills Memorial Hospital and Dawson Creek & District Hospital replacement projects at the annual Northern Health Spring Leadership Forum in Prince George.

This year’s forum welcomed more than 100 leaders from across the region for two days of education, collaboration, and networking. In addition to the daily speakers and breakout sessions, the leaders explored 50+ demo pods centered around Digital Health, SaferCare, and HealthSpaces.

Our new build project booths, located in the HealthSpaces area, featured:

• Exciting information about the projects
• Draft renderings of the new facilities
• Construction progress photos and video walk-throughs
• Construction time lapse videos
• Swag and giveaways
• And two 3D printed cranes!

Left: Communications & Community Engagement Liaisons Christine Midgley (Stuart Lake Hospital), Ashley Pannozzo (Dawson Creek & District Hospital), and Sarah Artis (Mills Memorial Hospital) get ready to greet conference-goers. Middle: A 3D-printed replica of the crane at the Dawson Creek site. Right: Christine showcases the progress on the new Stuart Lake Hospital.

Healthcare Travelling Roadshow

While the UNBC Healthcare Travelling Roadshow (coordinated by the Northern Medical Program) visited Fort St. James, we took the opportunity to take the future doctors on a virtual tour of the new Stuart Lake Hospital! The Nechako portion of the roadshow (Vanderhoof, Fort St. James, Hazelton, Dease Lake, Stewart) made a pit stop at Fort St. James Secondary school to present to students on May 13th.

Each spring, post-secondary medical students from across the province hit the road to visit schools in Northern BC, inspiring high school students to consider health care as a future career. After an exciting morning of facilitating hands-on demonstrations to the high schoolers, the roadshow crew was ready for the lunch spread organized by the Primary Care Society.

Over lunch, we shared the construction time lapse of the new hospital build, renderings of the facility, interior progress photos, and had conversations about the community engagement we’ve done to ensure culturally-safe care.

Several of the future physicians expressed interest in returning to visit the hospital when it’s finished, so we look forward to hosting them again!

Future physicians from the Healthcare Travelling Roadshow lead hands-on learning at Fort St. James Secondary School.

Seniors Association Potluck

We’d heard rave reviews about the Stuart Lake Seniors Association potlucks in the past, so we were excited to get an invitation this month! After the most incredible spread of home-cooked food and fantastic company, we can see why it’s the hot event in town.

Christine walked the attendees through a virtual hospital tour, showcasing construction progress, renderings, and additional information on what to expect with the upcoming naming and art selection working groups.

Thank you to Lynn Dunkley for the invitation, and to the entire Seniors Association for being fantastic hosts.

Our Northern Health bear is set up and ready for a potluck party!

If your group/organization would like members of our team to share a presentation with your team or to set up an information booth at an event, please reach out to letstalkSLH@northernhealth.ca

Curious how things are coming along inside the new hospital this month? Keep scrolling to see the May progress pictures!

One of the most exciting developments is how far work has come on the main lobby. Since April, the flooring has been finalized, ceiling tiles and paneling have gone up, and accent lighting has been installed to enhance the already-bright space. Pictured left: View from inside the lobby, facing the main entrance. Pictured right: View of reception desk from main entrance.

Another area of the facility that has completely transformed is the lab. Lighting and ceilings have also been installed in this area, as have brand new workspaces for the technicians. This space is exponentially larger than the current laboratory at the Stuart Lake Hospital, so there has been a substantial amount of electrical work done to ensure proper infrastructure for new equipment that will fill the lab.

Strolling through the hospital and health care areas, it's exciting to see finishing details popping up everywhere. In the Emergency and Long Term Care areas, lifts have been installed throughout personal rooms.

In Primary Care, room signs and handrails line the walls. If you look closely at the room sign above, you'll notice that each room sign features braille in the bottom left corner to help visitors find their way.

In the Emergency Department, there's a new splash of colour! If you read our breakdown of colour choices for the hospital from March, you've probably wondered when the teal would appear. Pictured above, the nursing station has recieved its first coat of the rich colour and the emergency waiting room showcases the finished stage of painting.

Pictured top right: This locker room is one of the many staff spaces located through the facility.

Many other areas of the facility are focused on finishing details. Faux-wood accents have been installed throughout, as seen in the Spiritual Space (pictured left) and one of the meeting rooms (bottom right).

The Graham team is working on the Long Term Care areas now, adding the faux-wood and tile accents to the lounge's feature wall (top right) and community kitchen.

Things are beginning to feel less like a construction site and more like a finished facility! We can't wait to welcome the community into the new Stuart Lake Hospital in 2025. Until then, check back for project updates and let us know what you're most excited for in the comments!

Construction at the Stuart Lake Hospital charges forward as we work towards welcoming patients in January 2025.

Haven't had a chance to keep up with our updates online? We've compiled highlights of the recent progress and engagement activity in the May 2024 Quarterly Update to catch you up.

PROJECT STATUS UPDATE

Where we’re at

It’s been a busy quarter at the new Stuart Lake Hospital site in Fort St. James. The Graham building team has been hard at work to keep the project on time and on budget, and we are pleased to announce that 85% of the construction is now complete!

This milestone is right on schedule, and we look forward to welcoming patients to the facility in January 2025.

Some notable highlights of the last few months include:

• Exterior construction is virtually finished.
• Interior work is well underway with installation of ceilings, electrical and mechanical systems commissioning, and finishing details like painting and flooring.
• 386 doors have been installed throughout the facility.

This is just a snapshot of the progress on the new hospital. Fun fact: the Graham team clocked over 300,000 worker hours in March alone! Check out progress photos and videos on our Let’s Talk website to see how far construction has come.

Next steps

Some of the upcoming activities include:

• We are launching two new working groups to assist with facility naming and art selection (details on page 3).
• Construction will be completed in Fall 2024. Once the keys are passed over, we’ll be moving equipment in, training staff, and preparing for the January opening.
• Work on the Healing Garden and other landscaped areas around the facility will occur in Spring 2025.

ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES

Education, wellness, and career fairs

Have you met our new Community Engagement Liaison yet? Christine Midgley has been making her way around Fort St. James’ events to make local connections, share project updates, and give community members a sneak peek at the new facility.

In March, she partnered up with our recruitment team to attend Nak’azdli Whut’en’s career fair at Kwah Hall. Since the new hospital is three times the size of the current facility, Northern Health will be hiring for multiple health care and support services positions over the coming months. Attendees learned about the various employment opportunities at the new facility and different education pathways to get there.

In April, these conversations continued at the district’s Recreation and Wellness Fair, hosted at Fort St. James Secondary School. Many students and community members expressed interest in health care careers or shared their excitement for the new facility.

Melissa Morin (Regional Lead, Indigenous Recruitment) attended with Christine to share information about the Indigenous-specific programming and resources available through Northern Health.

Elders’ Grand Tea

More than 150 elders from Binche Whut’en, Nak’azdli Whut’en, Tl’azt’en, Takla Lake, and Yekooche First Nations gathered for the annual Elders’ Grand Tea at the Fort St. James Community Centre. The day was filled with drum making, bingo, and connecting over good food.

Christine attended the event with Megan Hunter (Health Services Administrator, Lakes Omineca) and Angie Prince (Indigenous Patient Liaison Worker) to give a short presentation to the elders on how their feedback impacted facility design, share progress photos, and unveil renderings of the bilingual English/Dakelh signage that will be featured in the new Stuart Lake Hospital.

Finally, we began to gather interest for the upcoming art and naming working groups.

Participants needed for upcoming working groups

One of the top priorities for the new Stuart Lake Hospital is to create a welcoming, culturally safe environment for all. To ensure this, we’ve engaged with working groups consisting of key leaders in the region, Indigenous communities, and health care staff. We incorporate their feedback wherever possible in the project.

As we enter the final stages of construction, Northern Health will be launching two new working groups to get community feedback: one for art selection, and one for facility naming.

The art selection committee will have a say in what pieces (paintings, photos, sculptures, etc.) are featured in the new build.

The naming committee will help choose names for the long-term care facility, various rooms, and a name to appear on the front of the building.

If you’re interested in joining either of these working groups, please reach out to Christine Midgley at LetsTalkSLH@northernhealth.ca

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Let’s Talk: Stuart Lake Hospital

The Stuart Lake Hospital Replacement’s Let’s Talk website is our one-stop shop for everything related to the project. On the site, you can find:

• Key details and important information
• Regular project updates
• Draft renderings
• Photos and video of construction progress
• Engagement highlights

Here are some updates that have been shared recently:

• Construction progress photos – April – March
• Construction Time Lapse
• FAQ: How did you pick the colours for the new hospital?

Contact us directly

For questions, feedback, or to get added to the distribution list for these updates, email Christine Midgley (Community Engagement Liaison, Stuart Lake Hospital Replacement Project) at LetsTalkSLH@northernhealth.ca

For more information on employment opportunities at the new hospital, visit Northern Health Careers.