Nanisivik Naval Facility still has no opening date; minister cites lessons learned in planning

Canada's national defence minister says plans for a naval facility project in Nunavut failed to consider the local context, and that his department has learned lessons from that. 

The Nanisivik Naval Facility on northern Baffin Island is supposed to be a refuelling station for the navy, and other government ships. 

Initially announced by former prime minister Stephen Harper in 2007, the project has experienced many delays. While the date of the opening isn't known, the Department of Defence told Radio-Canada last year the facility was expected to welcome its first naval ships in 2025. 

National Defence Minister Bill Blair was in Iqaluit earlier this month to announce three military hubs in Iqaluit, Inuvik and Yellowknife. During that news conference, Blair said challenges encountered during the naval facility project had shown the government that a better way forward is to make sure defence investments "benefit people and communities as well as the Armed Forces." 

He also said he wished for the government to move ahead with the project. 

The Department of National Defence said in an email to Radio-Canada that it was adding the "last step" to the project plan. It said the facility's jetty would need to be completely replaced and heat needed to be added to the fuel tanks for it to become operational.

Multitude of shortcomings

The project has seen several delays and its budget has been reduced since construction started in 2015. 

The Department of National Defence attributed those delays to the COVID-19 pandemic and to flooding in 2021 that washed out the main road connecting the Nanisivik site to the community of Arctic Bay, Nunavut.  

"The facility is located 40 kilometres from Arctic Bay, and the road that connects it to the residents of this [community] is in an advanced state of disrepair," said Blair.

The deep-water port was initially intended to provide supplies for boats moving through the Arctic, as well as a year-round living space for military and civilian personnel.

When it was announced by the Harper government, it was expected to cost $258 million. The department says that to date, $107.6 million has been invested and it's expected to reach a total of $114.6 million. 

A number of experts have also pointed out the project's shortcomings and questioned the significance of the facility for Arctic defence.

For example, the facility is not located in the Northwest Passage and it will only be able to refuel ships for one month of each year. Defence officials have also said if the fuel tanks are not heated, it won't be suitable for winter use. 

In 2022, a report by the auditor general of Canada concluded that budget cuts had undermined the real usefulness of the refuelling station.

"The facility itself is inaccessible in many ways and is only usable for about four weeks a year," Blair said.

Supporting projects that benefit communities

Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok has long said that the Nanisivik project wouldn't have enough of a positive impact on the territory. He's advocated instead for projects that strengthen Arctic defence, as well as meet community needs and create economic development.

For example, he supports the undersea fibre internet link project and the Grays Bay road and Port project in the territory's Kitikmeot region. The latter aims to unlock access to critical minerals and to the Northwest Passage.

The recent investment in the hydro project near Iqaluit and the construction of the deepwater port in Qikiqtarjuaq are also projects that Akeeagok has pointed to as priorities.