Vancouver hotel firm hit with $624K fine for unsafe renovation activities
A Vancouver hotel firm got hit with a hefty fine in relation to recent renovation work, which WorkSafeBC said constituted repeated high-risk violations.
Northland Properties, which the wealthy Gaglardi family owns, was recently implicated in a WorkSafeBC investigation and ended up being fined over $624,000 in a hotel renovation incident.
Northland operates hotels like the Sandman Hotel Group, Moxies, and Revelstoke Mountain Resort.
According to WorkSafeBC, Northland was carrying out renovation activities at one of its locations in Williams Lake.
WorkSafeBC said that it inspected the site and observed a few red flags. It found debris from drywall and identified asbestos-containing material, as well as mould and debris from paint that it had identified as containing lead.
Workers were at risk because they were not trained or certified in asbestos abatement.
Additionally, WorkSafeBC says that most workers weren’t using any respiratory protection, there was no negative pressure containment or decontamination in place, and the firm had no risk assessments and exposure control plans for tasks associated with asbestos and lead.
WorkSafeBC said the Vancouver firm didn’t ensure that hazardous materials were safely contained or removed before the renovation work began at the hotel site, which is considered a high-risk violation. Northland also failed to notify WorkSafeBC at least 48 hours before certain work activities involving asbestos-containing material began, which it classified as a “repeated violation.”
“The firm also failed to ensure the health and safety of all its workers and any other workers present at the workplace, a repeated and high-risk violation,” WorkSafeBC added.
Inhaling asbestos can cause fibres to get lodged in your abdomen, triggering inflammation and other long-term health complications. Being exposed to lead in paint can cause an array of other serious health issues, including permanent brain and nervous system damage.
The total amount Northland is being fined is $624,051,48. The fine was imposed on May 28, 2026.