Case Study: COVID-19 Nurse Accommodation Domes for Mushuau Innu First Nation

Overview: Emergency Housing for Frontline Health Workers

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mushuau Innu First Nation in Natuashish, Northern Labrador required immediate, reliable accommodations for incoming nurses tasked with managing the health crisis. Safe, on-site housing was essential to ensure medical staff could both serve the community and remain protected.

NovaDome delivered and installed a cluster of insulated fiberglass domes, each fully equipped with flooring, bathrooms, kitchens, utilities, generators, and septic kits. The turnkey units provided immediate, livable accommodations to support frontline health workers in an extremely remote setting.

The Vision: Secure and Livable Housing for Medical Staff

The goal was to rapidly deliver housing that could:

• Provide immediate accommodations for nurses supporting COVID-19 response.

• Be engineered for durability, capable of withstanding severe Labrador winters.

• Arrive fully equipped and ready to use, with no additional construction required.

• Enable safe and effective healthcare delivery by housing staff close to the community.

The Solution: A Cluster of Four Fully Outfitted Domes

• Domes delivered and installed directly on-site in Natuashish.

• Each unit included flooring, kitchens, bathrooms, and utility connections.

• Generators and septic kits supplied for off-grid, self-sufficient operation.

• Foundations installed and domes deployed using local equipment, with NovaDome’s team overseeing installation.

• The cluster was designed for immediate occupation, ensuring nurses had safe housing from day one.

Impact: Supporting Healthcare Capacity in a Crisis

• Provided dedicated accommodations for nurses, enabling consistent medical coverage during the pandemic.

• Reduced strain on local housing, allowing vulnerable families to remain safely in their homes.

• Enhanced community resilience, ensuring health services could continue despite isolation requirements.

• Created infrastructure that remains an asset for future healthcare needs in the community.

Conclusion: Rapid Deployment to Support Frontline Workers

By delivering and installing fully equipped, insulated domes, NovaDome enabled Mushuau Innu First Nation to house medical staff safely during the COVID-19 crisis.

This project demonstrated how speed, resilience, and livability can combine to protect both frontline workers and the communities they serve in Canada’s most remote northern regions.

👉 Learn more about NovaDome Emergency Shelter Systems