By Grant Warkentin
Featured image: Strathcona Regional District vice-chair and city Councillor Susan Sinnott spoke to the audience gathered for the grand opening on August 26, 2026.
The “Just Like Home” lodge next to the hospital held its grand opening this week, complete with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The facility has been under construction since fall 2025, and is now preparing to welcome its first residents. The new building was completed in a project led by the Strathcona Regional District (SRD).
It provides a place for doctors and locums new to Campbell River a place to stay that’s steps away from the hospital, with 20 self-contained suites available for professionals who need accommodations for short or long-term visits.
The facility will also provide a place for patients travelling to Campbell River for medical appointments to stay overnight and for multiple days as needed, with 10 units available for individuals and families.
In 2019, the SRD started the “Just Like Home” program, helping travellers and temporary health care workers find a place to stay in a town with few affordable temporary accommodations. The program grew into a vision for a permanent Lodge, which was made possible thanks to additional contributions from the Campbell River Hospital Foundation, the Mailman family, and Seymour Pacific Homes.
“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 in a news release from the SRD. “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 the northern half of Vancouver Island and surrounding coastal areas, with patients travelling from around the entire region to access services and appointments.
The project was made possible through years of fundraising, community support, and partnerships. 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,” says the SRD release. “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 allowing the facility to be built on the Campbell River Hospital campus. Its location next to the hospital helps connect patients and caregivers with 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.
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