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September Progress Photos
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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! -
July Progress Pictures
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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!
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May Progress Pictures
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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!
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Quarterly Update: May 2024
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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.
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April Progress Pictures
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Spring has officially sprung and progress on the new Stuart Lake Hospital is blossoming. Keep scrolling to check out this month's updated construction photos!
As the snow melts away, the wide sidewalks at the hospital emerge to soak up the sun. Inside the facility, the rays shine through the windows on the progress within. Pictured right, the Primary Care waiting area has come a long way since the March progress photos! Most notably, this space has brand new lighting and a finished ceiling.
Throughout the health centre, large windows showcase the picturesque landscape of Fort St. James. Depending where you are in the facility, you may be looking out at the lake and mountains, or you might have a tranquil view of the forest!
Staff areas are also coming together, as pictured on the right. Roomy workstations ensure doctors, nurses, and other health care staff will have more efficient workflows, which means better care for patients!
When a loved one is in the hospital or long term care, having a support system can make all the difference. The Gathering Space, pictured left, will be a comfortable area where families can come together to visit. During our engagement process, the community shared how important it would be to have a fire feature in the space. In the photo above, you can see the beginnings of a custom fireplace, which will be the centrepiece of the room.
On the right, the Graham team is hard at work bringing some colour into the new build.
The Gathering Space, Spiritual Space, and Long Term Care areas each overlook what will be beautiful patio gardens, facing the lake (top left). The Long Term Care wing has seen some major work in the past month including substantial progress on the nursing station (right) and the open concept dining area (bottom left).
The hospital will also have a private Palliative Care suite (top right). The suite features a large room to keep your loved one comfortable that opens onto a family area, complete with kitchenette. The Healing Garden, located steps outside Palliative Care, will feature carefully landscaped gardens featuring culturally important plants (bottom right). Since the new hospital will open in the winter, the garden will be completed in Spring/Summer 2025.
One of the biggest changes in the hospital since March? Doors!
Nearly all doors have been installed throughout the facility including sliding doors in Emergency (top left) and more private doors with customizable memory boxes in Long Term Care (top right). Residents in long term care will be able to decorate their memory boxes with photos and mementos that help identify which room is theirs.
Even though we've been showcasing our patient areas most, staff areas are also well underway. The boiler room photo (left) showcases a tiny corner of the massive space that will keep the entire facility running smoothly. Bottom right, the lab space in the new hospital is much larger than the current facility. Top right, the Graham crew works to install flooring in the future morgue.
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!
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March Progress Pictures
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You've seen how exterior construction has progressed thanks to the time-lapse video we shared last month, but what's going on inside the new Stuart Lake Hospital? The team from Graham took us on a site tour this week to see how it's all coming together.
Keep scrolling for a look inside the new facility!
Welcome to the entrance of the new Stuart Lake Hospital! Natural light is a priority to ensure the new space is as bright and inviting as possible. You'll find floor-to-ceiling windows walking in and sky-high ceilings in the main reception lobby.
The new site will move health services under one roof. Above is a sneak peek at the new Primary Care areas (left: reception and waiting area, right: patient room).
In Long-Term Care, we want to make sure the space is inviting for residents and their families. On the left, you'll see one of the spacious rooms (with a spectacular view of Mount Pope). On the right, the tour is scoping out the common areas, which will eventually become a living room/lounge area, dining room, and kitchen.
Even though construction has come a long way, there's still lots to do before opening! The Graham crew is hard at work making sure every detail is perfect. (Pictured right: the new Spiritual Space begins to take form. Top left: crews building the long-term care nursing station. Bottom left: Graham project manager Drew sharing plans with HSA Megan from Northern Health)
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!
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Construction Time Lapse [VIDEO]
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Construction on the new Stuart Lake Hospital has come a long way since breaking ground! Now that the exterior of the new facility is almost complete, we thought this would be the perfect time to look back and see how it all came together...
Tip: Make sure you're watching in 1080p for the best viewing experience.
Did you know you can see the SLH build progress from the comfort of your home? Check out the live snapshot, time lapse, or take a tour through the archives with our SLH construction camera.
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Project Update: February site tour
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It's a new year, and that means there are exciting updates at the Stuart Lake Hospital. Construction has progressed over the winter months, and the exterior is nearly finished! Development activities are now shifting primarily to interior work.
Northern Health President and CEO Ciro Panessa was in Fort St. James to visit the future hospital and check out the newly-mounted exterior cladding.
Pictured: Sebastian Mountjoy (Project Manager), Andre Wakkary (Sr. Project Coordinator), Ciro Panessa (CEO Northern Health), Drew Woods (Sr. Project Manager), Nathan Shields (Site Superintendent) show off the almost-finished exterior of the new hospital.This fall, the team will start installing equipment and getting internal systems ready to go for opening in early 2025. The new building will bring all health services under one roof, providing:
- 27 beds: 18 community care and 9 acute care
- An emergency department with 2 treatment rooms, a trauma bay, and a covered ambulance bay
- Primary care
- Lab and diagnostic imaging
- In-house spiritual and gathering spaces
- Larger space for palliative care
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Culturally and medicinally significant landscaping with outdoor spaces and gardens
Pictured: Sebastian Mountjoy (Project Manager), Andre Wakkary (Sr. Project Coordinator), Ciro Panessa (CEO Northern Health), Drew Woods (Sr. Project Manager), Nathan Shields (Site Superintendent) visit the site of the new Stuart Lake Hospital. -
November 2023 - Quarterly Update
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Where we’re at
As you’ve no doubt seen, this summer has been a flurry of construction activity on the new Stuart Lake Hospital. We’ve seen walls go up, roads paved, and a building come to life. The new hospital is now fully enclosed, and the work has shifted to items such as interior wall steel studs, backing and boarding, electrical, IT infrastructure, fire protection, and more.
While there is still a good deal of work to go before the building is ready for patients, it’s easy to see what an improvement the new facility is going to be for residents, staff, and medical staff.
Outside of the building, the Stuart Lake Hospital project team has been working with Graham Construction on the 100% Design Submittal to address concerns and ensure that any deficiencies and issues can be resolved before we open the building.
Project schedule
Despite how good the building is looking already, there is still a great deal of work to happen before we’re ready to bring patients into the building. However, the SLH project is still on track to open for patients late 2024 with the project being completed in 2025.
With the design work nearly wrapped up, much of the project team focus has shifted to transition planning, which is a complicated process that will take nearly a year to figure out. This work ahead of time will ensure that we’re able to hit the ground running in the new facility once we open the doors.
Once we open the doors on the new facility, the next steps will be the demolition of the old hospital, and the creation of new parking and culturally significant gardens and landscaping in its stead. If all goes according to plans, that work will be complete in 2025 and the new Stuart Lake Hospital will be ready to serve the community for years to come.
Site tour
In August, we were privileged to be able to offer a site tour to staff and medical staff of the new Stuart Lake Hospital. Graham Construction took everyone on a detailed walkthrough of the new building to show them where the new features would be located.
Despite the unfinished state of the inside, all those on the tour were in awe of the size of the new Stuart Lake Hospital compared to the current site. We look forward to hosting more of these tours in the future and sharing regular progress photos of the work happening on site.
Next steps and upcoming milestones
Engagement
Although the design portion of the hospital is nearly complete, that doesn’t mean that we won’t be engaging with staff and the public any further. Staff and community have an important role to play in the work still to come. Transition planning is a vital component of the project, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts on what that should look like.
We will contiue to engage throughout the lifetime of the project through Let’s Talk, our established working groups, as well as other virtual and in-person events.
Dakelh language working group
In addition to the work going on inside, we are also actively working on ways to make sure that the facility is culturally safe and welcome. One way, among many, that we’re doing that is by creating a Dakelh language working group comprised of Elders and language experts from the surrounding Indigenous communities.
In the spirit of reconciliation and cultural safety, and to reflect the territory on which the hospital is located, a number of patient and staff signs throughout the facility will have Dakelh translations. We look forward to sharing these with you in the future.
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. We are always looking to connect and to hear from you! Please stay in touch and keep your questions coming.
Stuart Lake Hospital Let’s Talk
Employment opportunities at Stuart Lake Hospital
A new hospital with more beds, expanded lab and diagnostic imaging, and a Primary Care Clinic, means a great number of positions to fill. A variety of positions will be available both in the hospital as well as the Primary Care Clinic which will be housed in the new hospital such as:
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Registered Nurse
- Housekeeper
- Cook
- Food Service Worker
- Facility Maintenance
- Imaging Technician
- Medical Lab Technologist
- Care Aid
- Laboratory Clerk
- Primary Care Assistant
- Social Worker
- Occupational Therapist
- Medical Office Assistant
- Community Health Worker
- Physicians
- Nurse Practitioner
- Rehab Assistant
- And many more!
To start your education journey to a job in health care, connect with employment contacts at Northern Health Recruitment (nhjobs@northernhealth.ca) or Megan Hunter, Health Services Administrator – Omineca (megan.hunter@northernhealth.ca).
Employment opportunities and additional recruitment contacts
Stuart Lake Hospital Replacement Project construction camera
We’ve installed a construction camera that you can access to see what’s going on at the site! Follow along to see the progress and watch the new hospital take shape.
Click on the link on the Let’s Talk Page (or here: Stuart Lake Hospital Construction Camera) for a bird’s eye view of construction anytime you like.
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 Mark Hendricks, Communications Lead, Capital Projects, at:
Mark.Hendricks@northernhealth.ca or at LetsTalkSLH@northernhealth.ca
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October Site Tour
Share October Site Tour on Facebook Share October Site Tour on Twitter Share October Site Tour on Linkedin Email October Site Tour linkAs the fall months go by and the site gets ready for the winter, work continues to progress both inside and outside at a rapid pace. Over the winter, work will continue inside to continue bringing the building to life.
The main entrance to the new Stuart Lake Hospital will provide a welcoming and inclusive first point of contact for patients, family, and staff to Stuart Lake Hospital.
Drywall is progressing throughout the hospital including in the inpatient rooms. In the new Stuart Lake Hospital, all inpatient rooms will be single rooms with a dedicated washroom.
The family gathering space will have access to a landscaped outdoor area with covered seating.
In addition to the landscaped outdoor space near the family gathering space, the long-term care area as well as the paliative care room will have an outdoor healing garden with plants local to the region.
In addition to all the work going on inside, one of the most beautiful components of the hospital is the region itself. This view is taken from within the hospital. Natural light and windows are a big component of the design and views like these will be common throughout the facility.
