Arctic port delayed, budget slashed

Completion now pushed back to 2017

POSTMEDIA NEWS National Defence is hoping it can finally start moving on an already diminished and delayed plan for establishing a key naval facility in Canada’s Arctic after submitting a new environmental impact assessment to the Nunavut government this week.

The creation of a deep-water port and naval resupply facility at an old lead-zinc mine in Nanisivik, Nunavut, was announced to much fanfare by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2007 as part of his government’s promise to protect Canadian sovereignty in the North.

“With its sheltered harbour, nearby jet-capable airstrip and proximity to the Northwest Passage, Nanisivik offers an ideal location for the docking and refuelling facility,” the prime minister said at the time.

Estimates then put the total cost of getting Nanisivik up and running at about $100 million, with construction expected to start in 2010 and the deep-water port fully operational by 2015.

But budget cuts, regulatory snags and an apparent bout of short-sightedness have significantly reduced the project’s scope while causing delays and uncertainty about when construction can start.

The government revealed in May that the budget for Nanisivik has been slashed to $56 million.

Also, a study by the Defence Science Advisory Board last year, but only recently made public, indicates the federal government failed to consult with the local community of Arctic Bay before choosing Nanisivik to host the naval facility.

As a result, it didn’t know the “jet-capable” airport would be closed, and now the completion date for Nanisivik has been pushed back to 2017 — though even that remains contingent on the project receiving approval from Nunavut regulators.