Utoo Radio with Other News Sources - June 28, 2024 - The Canadian military's Nanisivik Naval Facility, a $115-million project, could open as early as this summer, despite being nearly a decade behind schedule.

Contractors are still working on fixing valves, painting buildings, and replacing pipes before the maritime outpost can operate. However, the Arctic construction season is short, and the facility's potential operating window will close by the end of summer, leaving the navy's new Arctic patrol vessels without a domestic resupply station in the Far North for at least another year.

The Department of National Defence has yet to find suitable contractors to bring in fuel and operate the site.

Once fuel arrives at Nanisivik, it must sit in the facility's storage tanks for at least 48 hours before samples are flown to Ottawa for testing.

Once approved by Ottawa, the facility will have about four to five weeks to replenish the Arctic ships before weather forces the facility to shut down for the season.

An agreement between the military and the Nunavut government will prevent the navy from breaking any sea ice near the facility to protect wildlife and preserve the local population's access to frozen water.

The navy's refuelling will continue to depend on commercial options or allies' cooperation for the rest of the navigation season.

The Nanisivik project was scaled back when the expected budget for the facility surpassed $258 million, and the road connecting the facility to the nearest operational airport in Arctic Bay, Nunavut, washed away in 2021 due to pandemic travel restrictions.