A ferry that once provided homes for Ukrainian refugees will soon be used to accommodate workers constructing Squamish's Woodfibre LNG plant.
In 2024, as part of its promise to provide worker housing for its project, Woodfibre LNG will be using a ship to serve as a temporary living area for the workers constructing its liquefied natural gas export facility. This project has been described as a 'floatel.'
Woodfibre LNG is enlisting the help of Bridgemans Services Group for this matter. In a press release issued in November, Bridgemans said it will moor the MV Isabelle at the project site. The ship will provide 652 newly-renovated cabins to meet the needs of workers.
Upon hearing this news, Squamish resident John Buchanan began looking into the origins of the Isabelle. Buchanan, a local knowledgeable in maritime affairs, found the ship had served in a past life as a shelter for Ukrainian refugees living in Estonia.
He found news reports showing that to find housing for those fleeing the Russian invasion, the Estonian government's Social Insurance Board signed a contract with Tallink, an Estonian shipping company, to house refugees in the Isabelle.
Eesti Rahvusringhääling, the Estonian public broadcaster, reported about 2,000 people were housed in the vessel. The average stay was about six weeks, and it was intended to serve as a temporary place to live while Ukrainians familiarized themselves with their new surroundings.
The news outlet also found that Tallink chartered the ship to Bridgemans. This would begin its journey to eventually be leased by Woodfibre.
But long before it became of interest to Squamish, high-profile international media outlets took notice.
In August last year, The New York Times published a lengthy story that documented refugees who were making the ship their new home. The Times reported the Isabelle, which was leased in April 2022, helped address the shortage of housing for refugees in Estonia and noted challenges displaced Ukrainians had in finding places to live throughout Europe.
CNN also toured the vessel, showing footage of the Isabelle's inhabitants finding ways to make the best of a bad situation. Signe Riisalo, the minister responsible for refugees, was filmed on the Isabelle saying that "there can't be [a] limit" to Estonia's generosity towards the displaced Ukrainians.
Back in Squamish, Buchanan hopes that all is well for the Ukrainians who used to live on the Isabelle. He said he had concerns for what happened to them after the Estonian government's lease on the ship expired.
"What are the consequences of that?" he said.
While The Squamish Chief was unable to reach any Ukrainians who had lived aboard the Isabelle before press deadline, it was able to make contact with the authorities involved in leasing the ship.
A communications officer for Estonia's Social Insurance Board told The Squamish Chief in a written message that the lease for the Isabelle expired on June 8, 2023.
"The ship, Isabelle, was used by us only as a temporary emergency facility during the peak of arrivals of Ukrainian refugees," wrote Kristina Kukk.
"All refugees that were temporarily accommodated on the ship have found a durable solution in Estonia or decided to leave Estonia."
She referred further questions to Tallink.
A Tallink spokesperson wrote to The Squamish Chief that the Bridgemans contract had nothing to do with the refugee accommodation ending.
"The contract with the Estonian government for refugee housing was coming to an end anyway this June," said Katri Link in an email.
"The refugee influx had reduced, so there was no longer need for such temporary emergency housing. The refugees had mostly all already moved on to more permanent housing in Estonia. The ship was really meant for and used as temporary initial housing. So, the Bridgemans contract has not had any impact on the refugee accommodation decisions or the like."
She added no one was left homeless as a result of the Isabelle being taken out of service.
"By late May this year, only a few dozen last refugees were on board and, by the end of the contract, they had also been moved to permanent housing by the authorities," Link wrote.
When The Squamish Chief approached Woodfibre for comment, the company referred all questions to Bridgemans.
"Like other vessels in Europe, the Isabelle hosted Ukrainian refugees as temporary housing," wrote Ian Noble, a spokesperson for Bridgemans.
"We understand Tallink's contract with the government of Estonia expired in June 2023. We are grateful that the Isabelle could support Ukrainian refugees during a time of need."
He added that chartering the ship did not take away housing from Ukrainian refugees.
