Monday, January 5, 2026

All Hands on Deck

Local 68 members working at Woodfibre LNG's export facility are making waves in the construction industry with their Core Culture Program

By Alison Brown

MOORED JUST OFF THE COAST of Squamish, BC, the MV Isabelle X gleams like a beacon in the foggy morning light. For hundreds of Local 68 members employed by LB LNG Constructors (a partnership between Ledcor and Bird Construction) working at the Woodfibre LNG site, in Squamish, BC, the converted cruise ship has been their home and workplace since June 2024.

While the ship turned floating work camp—colloquially called a “floatel”—has had its fair share of media attention and community pushback, the members who stay there have had to overcome obstacles that come with their unique digs, particularly Wi-Fi signals as unpredictable as the weather rolling in from the mountains.

Yet amid the frustrations of poor connectivity, many members are changing the narrative. Through LB LNG’s Core Culture Program, crews have taken the helm to build something rare in construction: a culture of recognition, communication, and belonging.

Weekly wrap meetings, shout-outs, a weekly newsletter, and games have helped create a more cohesive workplace culture that’s making waves in the sector.

“This is actually one of the most open sites I’ve ever been on,” says Local 68 member and core culture champion Jeff Kilvert. “You really get to know the person underneath the hard hat.”

ALISON AMOS, A LOCAL 68 member and carpenter by trade, was working for Bird Construction in Kitimat when she and her construction manager birthed the core culture concept out of their desire to improve the work experience for everyone on site.

“I love being a carpenter, and I love what I do,” says Alison. “But after about six months of working with Bird, my construction manager, Jake Baker, pulled me aside and asked me if I wanted to do anything else besides carpentry. They were looking to implement a culture-based program called IIF—incident injury prevention—as part of the contract, but it just wasn’t sticking because he recognized they needed a field perspective.

“He told me that he saw my diverse crew and that I was able to bring out the best in everyone and excel. He told me to take the culture I created and start something new.”

Four years and three major projects later, Alison’s role has evolved from concrete formwork carpenter to core culture coordinator for the LB LNG team, a joint venture between Ledcor and Bird Construction and the general contractor for the Woodfibre LNG project. Both Ledcor and Bird fully embraced the program and have jointly implemented a culture program under the LB LNG partnership. Alison and the project team have been able to identify a formula that works for creating a positive culture on site: training plus communication plus recognition, supported by confident leadership and empowered supervision. It’s her experience working on the tools and ability to understand supervision’s side that has lent itself so well to her new leadership role.

“My team blends the line between management and the workers, creating that open line of communication,” she says. “Instead of being a top-down initiative, the Core Culture Program was built by the field.

“The program gained full support and buy in from management and from everyone onsite, including the client, which has led to an improved FIFO [fly-in, fly-out] experience for all. The strong culture creates high crew morale that helps create a foundation for strong safety performance and supports meeting project deadlines—which is amazing considering that everything comes in by barge and we have unpredictable weather to deal with, so there’s been a lot of logistical challenges as well as some difficult layoffs.

“We’ve navigated tough stretches together—from daily marine commutes while we prepared for the floatel to permitting delays, tight logistics, and a constrained footprint. Without this program, those challenges would have been far harder.”

SO, WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE Core Culture Program involve? It’s a collection of initiatives designed to build belonging and trust across the site.

“The cornerstone of the program is our weekly wraps,” says Alison. “It’s all hands on deck, every single trade.

“We get together in the eight-plex, and project leadership will address everyone. They’re very involved and engaged, bringing updates and energy to get everyone on the same page.

“This helps build trust and puts to bed all the smoke-pit rumours that can sometimes escalate on site. It also shows respect. And it helps people put a name to the face and have a fresh reset every week.”

Alison and Dave then share the core culture topic, or theme, that the team identifies through the weekly meet-ups and listening tours on site, where she listens carefully to the crew’s complaints and concerns. Drawing on each weekly theme—for example, mindset as the most important tool at your disposal—she also creates a custom newsletter called The Tides, complete with her message as well as crew pics, jokes, and horoscopes.

“After the message, we go into open floor shout-outs, which is the staple of our recognition strategy. We use a ping-pong ball system, where you put the name of someone deserving recognition on a ping-pong ball and drop it in a big tank at the front of the eight-plex.

“Whenever the tank is filled, we’ll drop them and pick names to win a cool trip, like a salmon fishing expedition or snowmobiling trip in the winter. This is something people really look forward to, especially being on such a remote site. The chance to leave the site paid and do something fun with your coworkers is a huge reward.”

The crew was initially hesitant to shout-out their coworkers publicly.

“Some of the crew would say, ‘Well, what if no one gives me a shout-out?’ So, I’d tell them, ‘Why don’t you give someone else a shout-out? I bet it’ll come back to you.’ It really started this cycle of gratitude. And when you have peer-to-peer recognition in a group setting, it helps everyone realize that no one’s success comes without others’ successes.”

That peer-to-peer recognition has become the heartbeat of the program. By encouraging everyone to notice and celebrate each other’s contributions, the Core Culture Program has created a ripple effect of appreciation that spans across all trades, roles, and responsibilities.

THE CORE CULTURE PROGRAM HAS evolved over time, and each initiative has gotten more creative in building camaraderie.

“We have handmade trophies for different milestones and accomplishments, and we do fun games,” says Alison. “We have all sorts of creative engaging competitions for prizes aimed at increasing safety positives.”

Beyond the fun, these games and activities are intentional tools that help crews recognize each other’s strengths and contributions.

Jeff and Dave Elson, another Local 68 member who assists Alison with the Core Culture Program when he’s not tied up with his civil and environmental crews, echo Alison’s passion for creating a positive culture for the crew.

“I was blown away when I got here and saw this program,” says Dave. “I didn’t think things like this existed in construction.”

Both Dave and Jeff note how instrumental the Core Culture Program has been in changing the atmosphere on site.

“The unpredictable Wi-Fi has been a huge challenge, especially for those with families who don’t have a reliable way of Face Timing back home,” says Jeff, who hails from Squamish and has been able to leave site to go home each night to see his dogs, unlike his crew. “Plus, they’re isolated here on the boat and feel removed from the world.”

Dave and Alison go on weekly meetings and listening tours, attended by management, supervisors, and the client, where they head out on site the day before their weekly wraps to get feedback from workers to identify any issues or themes that crop up. This is one of their most important communication tools and a great way for all crews to feel heard. Just as importantly, it ensures they close the loop: the feedback collected in the field doesn’t just stay in the field—it goes straight into the weekly wrap. There, management addresses the input in a fun and engaging way, clearing up any rumours or misinformation and showing crews that their voices lead to real action. This connection between field engagement and weekly wrap communication makes the whole process stronger and more impactful.

“We’re heading out there to gain as much information as we can from the crew and addressing it directly but in an interactive way,” says Dave. “It gives us good insight into staff morale, see what’s bothering people, and what’s their biggest concern. It helps indicate any future problems that may arise so we can try to fix them ahead of time. The biggest positive from the walks is making connections and letting people be heard.”

“The reaction from the crew has been overwhelmingly positive,” adds Jeff. “At first it was tough to get buy in from some of the old rough and tumble guys, but it’s helped create a fun and engaging atmosphere. People feel like they have a voice and are genuinely heard.”

THE CORE CULTURE PROGRAM HAS made it their mission to help make life on the site more open and inviting. In addition to their weekly wraps and recognition initiatives, there’s also people bingo icebreaker games, cornhole tournaments, Stanley Cup playoffs and UFC watch parties, NFL fantasy leagues, and a special event for December.

“We try to take care of the whole worker: mentally, physically, and socially,” says Jeff. “We try to make everyone feel as at-home as possible. Obviously, we aren’t under the delusion that this is home, but if we can make it as comfortable as we can, that positivity transfers out into the field and into their work.”

In many ways, the Core Culture Program’s success lies in its simplicity: people recognizing people. Whether through a game, shout-out, or shared laugh, each interaction strengthens community. When everyone feels seen, supported, and valued, the entire site operates with greater trust and collaboration.

The Core Culture Program has become so successful that other contractors working on the Woodfibre LNG project, as well as Ledcor Construction Manager Andrew Waite, have expressed interest in implementing something similar on future projects.

“It’s an exciting time for the construction industry,” says Alison. “Our Core Culture Program is definitely making waves, and the ripple effect will be more positivity and camaraderie in the entire field. It’s something that can be scaled to just about any project.”

A positive culture is the new standard—one that builds not just projects, but people.

Woodfibre LNG

What Is It?

Woodfibre LNG's liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility is being built near Squamish, BC. It will take natural gas (mostly methane) from pipelines and cool it down until it turns into a liquid. When gas is frozen, it turns into LNG—liquefied natural gas. This shrinks it to about 1/600th of its normal size, which makes it much easier to transport in special tankers. Once liquefied, the gas is loaded onto ships and sent overseas.

Fast Facts

October 31, 2023 – When Local 68 members first arrived on site
800 – Number of members working on the project, at peak
2.1 million tonnes – Production capacity of LNG per year

Did You Know?

Woodfibre LNG is aiming to be the world’s first net-zero LNG export facility, not just during operation but including its construction phase.

Sources: woodfibrelng.ca, natgas.info

Indigenous Engagement

Woodfibre LNG is the first industrial project in Canada to recognize a nontreaty Indigenous government (the Squamish Nation) as a full environmental regulator. There is a Squamish Nation Environmental Assessment Agreement with legally binding conditions that the project must meet, monitored in collaboration with the Squamish Nation.

The project has also made it a priority to hire from the Squamish Nation, other Indigenous communities, and local residents. Procurement and contracting are designed to benefit local and Indigenous businesses.

Source: woodfibrelng.ca

Bullseye!

Though its modern rise came in the American Midwest during the 1980s, cornhole’s roots can be traced to the late 19th century. In 1883, Heyliger Adams de Windt patented a game called parlor quoits, which used bean bags and a slanted board (though his version had a square hole rather than round). The simple pastime gradually gained popularity in the US, especially at tailgates, backyards, and social gatherings.

Cornhole Canada was established in 2019 as a registered nonprofit to govern, sanction, and standardize the sport nationally. The organization held its inaugural Canadian National Championships in 2021 in Toronto. What started as a humble lawn game has now become a growing part of Canadian sporting culture, uniting communities with every toss.

Source: cornholecanada.ca

All Hands on Deck

Woodfibre LNG

Indigenous Engagement

Bullseye!

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