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A WorkSafeBC report obtained through a freedom of information request has revealed that the operator of a Sandman Hotel in Williams Lake had previously fallen afoul of asbestos regulations over a dozen times across multiple B.C. locations.
In the report — which details the $624,051.48 penalty handed to Northland Properties — B.C.’s workplace regulator says the company failed to ensure workers were safe when they worked on a renovation project at the Williams Lake hotel in December 2025.
According to the report, a WorkSafeBC inspector at the site noticed visible mould on the walls, no decontamination measures in place, and only one worker voluntarily wearing a disposable dust mask.
Despite a pre-construction report indicating the hotel operator knew asbestos was present throughout drywall compound in the hotel, as well as paint containing lead, WorkSafeBC found that those risks weren’t communicated to employees.
“As a result of these deficiencies, anyone accessing the renovation area was likely exposed to asbestos and other hazardous building materials,” the report reads.
“Cross contamination of the hotel interior was also likely and contaminated debris may have been spread via [footwear] and contaminated clothing to other areas of the hotel.”
WorkSafeBC issued a stop-work order at the site after the inspection, and the hotel operator subsequently began asbestos abatement before renovation resumed.
The workplace regulator said Northland could not establish that it had conducted its due diligence regarding asbestos safety and compliance with worker safety regulations.
“I reviewed the Northland Construction – Health and Safety Program and found no reference to asbestos or hazardous materials in the document,” an official wrote in the report.
The official said asbestos and lead were both confirmed carcinogens, and hotel workers and guests may also have been exposed to asbestos fibres as part of the months-long renovation project.
“In this case, the employer was in possession of a hazardous materials survey stating that asbestos was present and failed to act appropriately,” the report reads.
“This exposed workers to a confirmed carcinogen.”
Multiple previous violations
In fining Northland over $620,000, WorkSafeBC cited multiple previous orders and fines related to asbestos violations given to the hotel operator over the years.
According to the report, the orders were issued at Sandman Hotel locations in Kelowna, Richmond, Revelstoke, and Vancouver’s Georgia, Davie and Burrard streets.
In total, the company has received over a dozen penalties, stop-work orders and safety notices related to hazardous material exposure at Sandman Hotels across B.C. over more than a decade.
“This penalty is appropriate for this employer; the employer has received many prior orders relating to asbestos management and also a warning letter and does not seem to have taken any substantive, sustained action to prevent future worker exposure and future violations,” the report says.
Vancouver-based Northland Properties is one of North America’s largest hospitality firms, according to its website, and includes brands like Denny’s Canada, Grouse Mountain Resort and Chop Steakhouse.
Tom Gaglardi is the CEO of the company, which also owns the NHL’s Dallas Stars.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Northland said that no hotel guests were exposed to any asbestos or hazardous materials, and the company would be appealing the WorkSafeBC penalty.
“The health and safety of all our staff and guests has always been and remains at the forefront of all the work that we do,” the spokesperson said.
“The underlying issues identified by WorkSafeBC were promptly remedied.”
