From Camp to Lodge: Reimagining Remote Industrial Sites

Energy and Resources
Jan. 08, 2021

Sodexo Canada is providing all hospitality, food and maintenance services at Cedar Valley Lodge in Kitimat, B.C. and is elevating the work/life experience for project workers – guests – at every turn.

Overview of the Story

he LNG Canada project in Kitimat, British Columbia is the largest energy investment in Canadian history. Once complete, it will supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to replace coal in Asian markets.

To meet the challenge of housing its workforce onsite, LNG Canada’s prime construction partner, JGC Fluor, engaged Sodexo Canada to deliver all hospitality, food and maintenance services for project workers – guests – at Cedar Valley Lodge (CVL), a best-in-class worker accommodation centre.

CVL is Sodexo Canada’s largest remote work site and the second-largest work site in North America.

Designed as an integrated and inclusive environment for a diverse remote workforce, CVL offers a complete array of amenities and services in one location—from onsite healthcare to high-speed Internet service, expansive dining options and a full range of leisure and recreational opportunities.

The lodge opened in stages with the first group of guests taking occupancy in July 2020. While timelines were impacted by COVID-19, the lodge was fully operational by July 2021 and has served 4,500 guests at peak occupancy.

Prioritizing the guest experience, Sodexo Canada created a home away from home for LNG Canada workers – many of whom travel from other areas of the province and country. CVL boasts all the amenities one would expect at a hotel resort, providing guests with unmatched experience and elevating the living standards for a remote work site.

Central to this elevated experience is Sodexo Canada’s digital app, MyWay. The revolutionary app allows guests to provide feedback, ensuring that service, food, maintenance and other amenities are always top of the line. The app also allows Sodexo Canada to directly communicate with guests and provide them with virtual updates on daily menus and amenities, which makes communication easier and friendlier for the environment.

Rounding out the experience is an expansive menu with nutritious food and buildings for recreation, entertainment and administration, including an onsite health clinic.

Cedar Valley Lodge and Sodexo Canada’s operation is changing the game for industrial work camps.

By the Numbers

1.2 million square feet
18 dorms
Over 10,000 workers on site, 4,500 calling it home at one time
500 employees
1,750 seats in dining room
8 gaming and personal TV rooms
2 movie theatres

Challenges

Providing an elevated quality of life for LNG Canada workers: Traditionally, industrial workers receive the basics while staying at work camps. They work long hours on the industrial site and return to camp to receive basic meals and accommodation.
Increasing communication among workers and lodge staff: Consistent and reliable communications with camp staff and guests can be a difficult task to get right given the large size of camps and the high volume of workers. Traditional paper notices and bulletins can be inconvenient to access and easily missed, and using large quantities of paper is bad for the environment.
Maintaining quality service to a large workforce in a remote location: The more workers living at a work camp increases the demand on camp staff to maintain service levels.
Working within changing construction timelines and against a backdrop of evolving health protocols due to global pandemic: Due to COVID-19, the roll-out of some amenities at the lodge was slowed, making it difficult to provide guests with the full experience of CVL.

Solutions

Reimagining camp amenities and services: Sodexo Canada worked with JGC Fluor to ensure CVL had amenities not typically seen at industrial work camps. With these intuitive developments, guests have access to a gym, sports, social activities, a health clinic, a post office and education opportunities.
Improving the guest experience: Sodexo Canada introduced the MyWay app at CVL to provide guests and staff with a convenient way to give feedback on the lodge, amenities, food, service and maintenance.
Offering an expanded menu that prioritizes health and wellness: Sodexo Canada provides CVL guests with a rotating menu filled with variety and nutrition to keep them healthy and fueled for their long workday. For example, guests can create customized power bowls and have access to a 24/7 grab-and-go station that is continuously stocked with fresh fruit.
Providing temporary fitness and activity options while CVL experiences construction delays due to COVID-19: Sodexo Canada offered interim fitness facilities including a fitness class studio, weight rooms, cardio and weight machines, and eight fitness pods in the 4,500 square-foot warehouse.
Making work camps greener: Several initiatives help make CVL more environmentally friendly. The MyWay app sends out notices and bulletins to guests and staff, eliminating the need for unnecessary paper at the lodge. The addition of mail services helps cut back on emissions by sending and receiving guest packages to and from the post office in Kitimat, the closest city. New guests receive a welcome package complete with a reusable tumbler and coffee thermos, which they can use to enjoy CVL’s onsite fountain pop, water stations and refillable beverage stations.
Reducing waste: Sodexo Canada implemented the WasteWatch by Leanpath program to help reduce waste in food service operations. Since setting their baseline in March 2021, the team at CVL have reduced the food waste produced by their site by 21.72% — roughly the weight of a space shuttle!

Results

Sodexo Canada has received positive feedback from employees and guests on the service and amenities at CVL.
Guests stay in welcoming and clean accommodations while working away from home.
The variety of amenities available provides guests with ample options to recharge so they are refreshed for work the next day.
CVL is reducing its environmental footprint by saving paper through sending notices and bulletins on the MyWay app and displaying signage at the lodge to educate guests on proper waste management procedures, including the correct identification of materials that are recyclable or compostable.
Within the first six months, the MyWay app logged over 2,700 active users monthly, representing almost half of all registered users. This is significantly higher than the average user retention rate for hospitality apps, which is 30%.
CVL’s Lodge Committee uses a proactive approach with in-person meetings that allow staff to share information with guests, rather than reacting to complaints and problems as they occur.

Expanding Service Offering

Since our initial launch in 2020, we've continuously enhanced our offerings to provide a better experience for the CVL community. Here are some of the exciting new additions that have been introduced:

We Proudly Serve Starbucks Coffee Bar: Bringing the premium taste of Starbucks coffee right to our facility, this new coffee bar has quickly become a favourite spot for both staff and visitors.
Natural! Smoothie Bar: Our Natural! Smoothie Bar offers a variety of delicious and nutritious smoothies made from fresh, all-natural ingredients, perfect for a quick health boost.
Sandwich Bar: This station allows for customizable, fresh-made sandwiches, catering to all tastes and dietary preferences, making it a convenient option for a quick and satisfying meal.
Onsite Barber: Our onsite barber provides professional grooming services, ensuring that our community members can always look their best without leaving the premises.
Onsite Counsellors: We've added onsite counsellors to support the mental and emotional well-being of the CVL community, offering accessible, confidential, and professional counselling services.

These additions have been well-received and have significantly improved the overall experience and satisfaction of everyone who visits or works on this site.

About Sodexo Canada Energy and Resources

Sodexo is a Canadian market leader in remote site management for energy and resources clients. Specializing in food services and facility management solutions to onshore energy, mining and engineering & construction projects, we serve people working on remote sites around the world often under extreme conditions. From camp services including catering to facility management, we offer end-to-end solutions for comfort, productivity, and well-being. With Indigenous partnerships for over 20 years and award-winning environmental responsibility programs, we are committed to making a positive impact on the communities serve while providing innovative solutions to remote camp clients.

Find out more about how we work in Energy & Resources.