Category Engagement Show all
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FAQ: How did you pick the colours for the new hospital?
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Since the beginning of the design process, we've prioritized community input to make sure the new build feels welcoming to all.
Our team connected with key leaders in the community, health care staff, and the Nak'azdli Whut'en, Tl'azt'en, Binche Whut'en, Takla Lake, and Yekooche First Nations to ensure collaboration every step of the way.
As these consultations went on, a recurring theme emerged: wanting the new build to reflect the natural beauty of the area.
With that direction, our design team took inspiration from the landscape features of the lake and the forest as a foundation for the master colour palette. After more community consultations, the final colour palette showcases the beauty of Fort St. James' transitioning seasons to identify different areas in the hospital.
So, what colours were chosen?
The hospital will feature two colour schemes inspired by the warmth and frost of the changing seasons in Fort St. James.
As the temperatures change through the transition of seasons, the land sees frost begin to appear in the late autumn months (Admin & Lab). While things may be chilly outdoors, winter brings warmth indoors through cherished family gatherings in the home (Long Term Care). Frost lingers through spring as the the days begin to stretch, soon bringing blossom to the landscape (Emergency). Finally, the familiar sunny skies of summer bathe the landscape in warmth (Primary Care).
The space between each area will be kept light and neutral to represent the balance of the seasons. Throughout the facility, wood finishings are used to tie the space together. We'll be sharing detailed renderings and progress for each area soon, but here's a preview of what to expect!
Top left: Emergency waiting area, Bottom Left: Main lobby/reception, Top right: Long term care nursing station, Bottom Right: Primary Care waiting area.
Note: All renderings are approximate and subject to change -
Career Fair Recap
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It was fantastic seeing so many people come out for this week's career fair at Kwah Hall! Our team had a great time connecting with the community and offering a sneak peek at the new hospital build. Thank you to the Nak'azdli Whut'en for having us.
If you couldn't make it out to the career fair, don't worry! Since the new Stuart Lake Hospital is set to open early next year, we will be hiring many positions over the coming months. Health care and support services jobs will include:
- Housekeeper
- Cook
- Food Services Worker
- Facility Maintenance
- Maintenance Worker
- Registration Clerk
- Imaging Tech
- Medical Lab Technologist
- Lab Clerk
- Care Aid
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Registered Nurse
Opportunities for employment will also exist in the Primary Care Clinic which will be housed in the new hospital:
- Primary Care Assistant
- Medical Office Assistant
- Community Health Worker
- Rehabilitation Assistant
- Mental Health Clinician
- Social Worker
- Occupational Therapist
- Physical Therapist
- Nurse Practitioner
- Physicians
If you'd like more information about these positions or know someone that would be a good fit, connect with our recruitment team at recruitmentsupport@northernhealth.ca
Keep an eye out for us at future events! -
Hospital Highlight: Palliative Care
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkEarly on in the conversation about the new Stuart Lake Hospital, when we were first talking to community and Indigenous leaders from Fort St. James and the surrounding area about palliative care, we learned from you that end of life is a time for community and family to gather. We heard that space is necessary to accommodate all those who come to witness death, to pay their respects, and to grieve together; we heard that death is a time to follow protocol, to call on ceremony and connection to see us through the time of death and to see those we love leave this world and move on. We are grateful for the stories you shared and for how generously we were welcomed to experience death with you and to learn from you so we can do better.
Because of the teachings offered us and the care shown by the community, we have been able to create a palliative suite at the new Stuart Lake Hospital that will be a welcoming and comforting space when end of life times come. Some of the features of this space are described below.
With windows and doors to the outside and views to the lake and the forests, the palliative care area has access to a garden full of local, culturally significant plantings and spaces where people can gather and sit together.
The palliative care area also includes a patient room and a family lounge area. In the lounge, chairs and a table are available, as well as seats that recline for sleeping, a family washroom, and a fridge and microwave to use to ensure you feel comfortable during your visit.
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Yekooche Health Fair
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The 20th of September was a great day for a drive up to Yekooche! Thanks to an early start and no hauling that day, I startled many grouse off the road and wasn't startled myself by any big trucks. I was early for the health fair, set up quickly, and helped others bring in their door prizes. I also sneaked out for a photo or two of the beautiful school and the bright fall morning.
It was a pleasure to talk to so many people about the new hospital in Fort St. James! Everyone was happy to hear that construction is well underway, but we were even happier to get more input from the community on what will make a safe and welcoming hospital for all. Over the course of the project, in meetings with the Cultural Safety Working Group which includes members from Yekooche, Takla, Tl'azt'en, Binche and Nak'azdli as well as Indigenous Health, and while connecting with people in community we have heard and incorporated many ideas that will make the new Stuart Lake Hospital a comfortable and comforting place for patients and people visiting the hospital.
It was fantastic to reconnect with community members who have contributed already, and to make new connections and hear new ideas. We're so grateful for the input and the result of all these conversations will be a hospital that is a reflection of all the communities it serves.
A huge thank you to Yekooche and to Krista Janssen for having us at the health fair, and an even bigger thank you to all the community members who took time to chat with me and give us their feedback. Please remember that feedback is always welcome! You can contact us here at LetsTalkSLH@northernhealth.ca or you can find us in the community. Takla health fair is next!
Thanks for a great day, Yekooche!
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The Quiet Before the Storm
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Stuart Lake Hospital from Mt. Dickson TrailBehind the scenes is a flurry of activity, but you'd never know it looking out at the quiet field behind the Stuart Lake Hospital. The trees are down, the view is wide, the ground is waiting for shovels, and the people of Nak'azdli, Fort St James, Binche, Tl'azt'en, Yekooche and Takla are ready for the new build to start.
Ice pile in Stone's BayIn the meantime, we watch the ice pile up on shore, melt away and then freeze up again, ready for spring... and for the excitement of the Stuart Lake hospital construction to begin!
Open water in April on Stuart LakeWatch this page for announcements. We'll keep you posted.
(Thanks to Ann McCormick for the view of the hospital from the trail to Mt. Dickson).
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Spring 2022 Quarterly Update
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Stuart Lake Hospital Spring 2022 Quarterly Update
Where we’re at
Since Northern Health first began discussing the Stuart Lake Hospital Replacement project in 2008 we’ve come a long way. Provincial approval in 2018 led to the business plan approval in 2020, and in May 2021, Graham Design Builders LP was selected as the successful proponent of the project with their proposal for design, build, finance and maintenance. Now we find ourselves well into the procurement phase of the project.
Procurement consists of two parts: a technical submission and a financial submission. The technical submission ensures that the design meets community and health service needs, and the financial submission addresses the costs of the project. An evaluation committee then receives the submissions and reviews them. Throughout this process, the proponent’s design development continues.
Meanwhile, Northern Health is actively working with the contractor to ensure that the Stuart Lake Hospital will meet the community and health service needs while keeping within the Design Build Agreement. We’re also actively engaging with the community.
Project Schedule
Like all project schedules, timelines can be impacted any number of factors and thus are subject to change.
Flagging and falling of trees to clear the site began in early February 2022 and construction is currently on track to begin summer of 2022. Construction will take place between 2022 and 2024, with transfer of staff and patients the goal for 2025.
Next steps and upcoming milestones
Engagement next steps
Right now the Communications Team is establishing a Cultural Safety Working Group (CSWG) and a Community Advisory Working Group (CAWG). The work of the CSWG and the CAWG informs the project to help ensure a facility that reflects and supports the communities in the Fort St James area and the Northern Health Services Plan. Aspects of the project that may be influenced by these groups include patient experience, culturally appropriate design, artwork and signage, and local considerations of interest that arise as we meet.
There is a lot going on behind the scenes in a hospital replacement project, but a simplified version of the reporting goes like this: input from the CAWG and CSWG goes to the Capital Advisory Committee and then to the SLHR Project Steering Committee who, in collaboration with the Project Board, balances the complexities of a capital building project with the needs and wants of the local communities.
Engagement is a major part of Northern Health Capital Projects, and there will be many opportunities for input from the community as this project progresses.
Once construction has started for the Stuart Lake Hospital Replacement, this milestone will be celebrated by us on-site, online, and in the media. We hope you will join us!
Stuart Lake Hospital construction camera
Interested in what goes into a major hospital replacement? We will be installing a construction camera that you can access to see what’s going on at the site and watch it all come together. Although work has yet to begin, the construction camera will be a way to keep up to date with the Stuart Lake Hospital Replacement.
For a peek at other Capital Projects in progress in Northern BC, take a look at the GR Baker Construction Camera recording the hospital expansion in Quesnel, or at the Mills Memorial Construction Camera recording the replacement of the Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace.
For more information
Stuart Lake Hospital Replacement Project Let’s Talk
Let’s Talk is our one-stop shop for everything related to the Stuart Lake Hospital project. Not only does this site have regular project updates, but it is also a place where you can provide feedback and thoughts on the project.
Stuart Lake Hospital Let’s Talk
Contact us directly
For questions, feedback, or to get added to the distribution list for these updates, feel free to reach out directly to us through Jill Wigmore, our Community Liaison Officer for the Stuart Lake Hospital Replacement Project at LetsTalkSLH@northernhealth.ca
