SRD Celebrates Opening of Just Like Home Lodge and Health Professionals Housing

Type
News
A unique local government initiative removes barriers to healthcare access while supporting recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals across North Vancouver Island
 
(Campbell River, BC) – The Strathcona Regional District (SRD), together with project partners, donors and community supporters, celebrated the completion of Just Like Home Lodge and Health Professionals Housing yesterday with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Campbell River Hospital campus.
 
Located together in one purpose-built facility just steps from the hospital, the two initiatives respond to different but closely connected challenges facing healthcare delivery across the region: providing a welcoming place to stay for patients and caregivers who must travel to Campbell River for medical care, and helping attract and retain the healthcare professionals needed to provide that care.
 
The 10 Just Like Home Lodge units will welcome patients and caregivers from communities across Mid and North Vancouver Island and surrounding coastal and remote areas who are travelling to Campbell River to access medical care, including guests from First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities.
 
Health Professionals Housing provides 20 self-contained suites offering flexible short- and longer-term accommodation for healthcare professionals working, training, relocating or exploring employment opportunities in the region. The housing helps reduce one of the practical barriers to recruitment and retention by giving healthcare professionals a place to land while they establish themselves in the community.
 
“These two projects turn a simple idea into practical action: if we want people to access care, and if we want health professionals to choose this region, we have to remove the barriers that stand in their way,” said SRD Vice-Chair Susan Sinnott. “Just Like Home Lodge offers comfort and dignity when patients and caregivers are away from home, while Health Professionals Housing gives people who come here to deliver care a place to land, build connections and consider making this region their home.”
 
The Campbell River Hospital serves 32 communities across Mid and North Vancouver Island and surrounding coastal areas, meaning the impact of improved healthcare access and a stronger healthcare workforce extends well beyond Campbell River.
 
The project was made possible through significant community support and partnership. The Campbell River Hospital Foundation, together with its donors, raised more than $2 million to support the construction of Just Like Home Lodge. Their generosity helped turn the vision for a welcoming home away from home for patients and caregivers into a reality.
 
The SRD also recognizes Seymour Pacific Homes for taking on the construction of this unique facility and working collaboratively to deliver the project in a highly cost-conscious and efficient manner, helping maximize the value of the investment made by the community and project partners.
 
Island Health helped make the project possible by enabling the facility to be built on the Campbell River Hospital campus. Its location next to the hospital is fundamental to both programs, connecting patients and caregivers to the care they need while providing healthcare professionals with accommodation immediately adjacent to their workplace.
 
“The SRD is committed to building stronger, more sustainable healthcare across our region,” said Sinnott. “This facility shows what is possible when regional government, healthcare partners, donors, community organizations and the private sector come together with a shared purpose and a clear commitment to the people and communities we serve.”
 
Health Professionals Housing will begin welcoming residents on September 1, 2026, followed by Just Like Home Lodge welcoming patients and caregivers on September 15, 2026.
 
The Just Like Home Lodge and Health Professionals Housing is owned and operated by the Strathcona Regional District and are located at 541 2nd Avenue, Campbell River, on the Campbell River Hospital campus.

 
To learn more about these unique local government initiatives, including eligibility and how to request a stay, visit:
 
Media Contact:
Sheena Fisher – SRD, Strategic Initiatives Manager 250-830-6711 | sfisher@srd.ca
 
 
Bright and modern living space with a yellow couch, plants, and a kitchen bar.

Just Like Home Lodge – Modern Shared Great Room

Group of people at a ribbon-cutting ceremony outside a building.

SRD & Partners at Ribbon Cutting Event (L to R): Kris D. Mailman – Chief Executive Officer of Seymour Pacific Developments, Stacey Marsh – Executive Director of Campbell River Hospital Foundation, Mark Baker – Chair of the Strathcona Regional District, Kermit Dahl – Mayor of City of Campbell River, Susan Sinnott – Vice Chair of Strathcona Regional District and Tyson Lambert – Chair of the Campbell River Hospital Foundation.

Modern two-story building with a wooden overhang and large glass doors.

Front Entrance of the Just Like Home Lodge

A group of seven people stands outside a building, smiling, with greenery above them.

SRD Board Director Attendees (L to R): Robyn Mawhinney – Electoral Area C, Mark Vonesch – Electoral Area B, Martin Davis – Tahsis, Mark Baker – Sayward (Chair), Susan Sinnott – City of Campbell River (Vice-Chair), Ben Lanyon – City of Campbell River, Kermit Dahl – City of Campbell River and Doug Chapman – City of Campbell River.

Aerial view of a modern building complex

Location - directly next to the North Island Hospital

Modern building with wooden accents and large windows, set against a blue sky.

Just Like Home Lodge (1st floor) and Health Professionals Housing (2nd floor)

A large crowd of people seated outdoors, listening to a speaker at a podium.

Ribbon Cutting Event Ceremony and Attendees