Society reimagines Site C camp conversion after initial idea deemed ‘too complex and costly’

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The North Wind Wellness Centre society is seeking support from the regional district for its revised plans for the Site C workers’ camp in Fort St. John

A letter was received during the Peace River Regional District (PRRD)’s March 19th board meeting, detailing a revised proposal to repurpose BC Hydro’s Site C hydroelectric dam workers’ camp into an Indigenous-led vocational training centre. 

The North Wind Wellness Centre’s original “big, bold vision” for the camp involved BC Hydro transferring the property and camp to the society, which would then operate it as a treatment, rehabilitation and training centre for mental health and addictions. The society had approached the board in June 2025 for support in negotiating with BC Hydro and the province.

The PRRD voiced its concerns about the future of the camp in a March 2025 meeting, where a letter from the utility stated the 1,700-bed camp – which cost $470 million to construct and maintain since 2015 – could be completely demolished and delivered to regional landfills. The camp is now expected to close on March 31st, with the remaining Site C workers staying in local hotels. 

“Our focus on vocational training reflects engagement with the provincial government and a pragmatic assessment of what can be achieved within current fiscal realities,” Isaac Hernandez, the society’s executive director, wrote in the letter. 

Hernandez explained the original concept for the facility was considered “too complex and costly” by the provincial government, and the society had decided to pivot. 

“Rather than abandon the opportunity, we have reframed the initiative around workforce development,” Hernandez said. 

“This model directly addresses the healthcare staffing crisis that Northern Health’s CEO described to this board in March 2025 – a 42 per cent nursing vacancy rate in northern emergency rooms – while also providing pathways for refugee and newcomer integration and supporting individuals in recovery to transition into stable professional employment.” 

The letter detailed the benefit this type of facility would provide for the communities within the regional district, including the Treaty 8 Indigenous communities, by offering 227 training places annually.  

Hernandez explained the letter was not presenting a finished business plan or asking for capital or financial commitments from the regional district, but instead asking for support and feedback on the revised plan in the society’s pursuit of provincial approval. 

To read the full letter, see below.