Question Period Note: Nanisivik naval facility

• National Defence has begun the process of decommissioning the Nanisivik Naval Facility.
• The operational context in the Arctic has evolved since 2007 and the site provided limited benefit.
• The Royal Canadian Navy can continue to conduct Arctic operations effectively and without any reduction in capability.
• For example, the Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships can sail 6,800 nautical miles – from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Alaska – without refueling.
• National Defence continues to make investments in the region to provide the Canadian Armed Forces with advanced capabilities across all domains—air, land, sea, cyber, and space.
• These include investments in a network of Northern Operational Support Hubs, a fleet of airborne early warning aircraft, deployable sensors on our coasts and underwater, and a satellite ground station in the High Arctic, among other initiatives.
• The Northern Operational Support Hubs Program is a long-term investment of $2.67 billion to strengthen Canada’s military presence in the Arctic and the North.
  If pressed on costs:
• The Nanisivik Naval Facility is estimated to require another $200 million to meet operational requirements for today’s Arctic climate.

Nanisivik Naval Facility (NNF)
* The NNF project involved a docking and refueling facility to support Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels and other government vessels. The facility consists of a jetty, fuel storage tanks for ships and embarked helicopters, a site office, a wharf operator’s shelter, a storage building, and a helicopter landing pad.
* When the NNF was designed, the range of an Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship was not yet known as the project was in its inception. A fueling station located in the vicinity of Arctic Bay was considered a prudent option at the time.
* In August 2019, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Ville de Québec visited the facility to conduct a test of the fuel delivery system. Beyond this limited testing activity, the site has not been used for routine or sustained naval operations.
* The Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels can sail a distance of 6,800 nautical miles. This is comparable to the distance from Nuuk, Greenland to Esquimalt, British Columbia, or from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Alaska without refueling. As a result, there are readily accessible facilities in well-established locations where these ships can refuel if required and have done so since their first Arctic deployment.
* To date, the Department of National Defence has invested approximately $110.2 million in the project, with an additional $610,000 planned for this fiscal year, for a total project expenditure of approximately $110.8 million. The NNF would require another $200 million to meet operational requirements for today’s Arctic climate.
Rationale for Decommissioning the NNF
* The decision to decommission the NNF reflects how the operational context in the Arctic has evolved since 2007 and supports continued investment in the most effective and flexible capabilities available today.
* Construction challenges, schedule delays, changes to project scope, and ongoing costly jetty repairs, combined with a very short seasonal access window, mean the site provides limited operational value related to the additional investment required.
* The RCN’s ability to operate in the Arctic has not been compromised: Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel fuel endurance and existing refueling options mean the RCN can continue to conduct Arctic operations effectively while the department pursues the most operationally relevant support model.
Investment to Defend, Build, and Transform the North
* On March 12, 2026, the Prime Minister announced several measures to defend fully Canada’s Arctic and North, deter new threats, and support NATO Allies and North American Aerospace Defense Command’s continental defence, including:
* Investing $32 billion at Forward Operating Locations in Yellowknife, Inuvik, and Iqaluit, and at Deployed Operating Base 5 Wing Goose Bay.
* Announcing two new Northern Operational Support Hubs (NOSHs) at Whitehorse and Resolute (in addition to previously announced locations of Iqaluit, Inuvik, and Yellowknife), and two new Northern Operational Support Nodes (NOSNs) at Cambridge Bay and Rankin Inlet, backed by an investment of $2.67 billion.
* Investing $294 million in Arctic airports, including building a runway overlay and modernising Rankin Inlet Airport and upgrading Inuvik Airport.
Northern Operational Support Hubs (NOSH) Program
* The Government of Canada is investing $2.67 billion in a network of NOSH between 2024 and 2044. The NOSH Program was announced as part of Canada’s defence policy, Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence. The program aims to:
* Expand the Canadian Armed Force’s presence, reach, mobility, and responsiveness in the Canadian Arctic and North;
* Protect and defend Canadian sovereignty;
* Improve security and safety for the people of Canada; and
* Support Canada’s commitments to the North American Aerospace Defense Command and North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
* NOSH is establishing scalable capabilities that can be activated quickly. These capabilities will provide cost-efficient, multi-modal support across land, air, maritime, cyber, and space domains.
Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) Project
* AOPS have the ability to sustain operations up to four months when resupplied, either from shore or by sea. Since 2021, the AOPS operate in the Arctic between June and October, providing a greater, and longer, CAF presence in the north. They will be capable of operating in first-year ice of 120-centimetre thickness. This allows the RCN to have unescorted access to areas of the Arctic that were previously inaccessible to RCN ships.
* Project timeline:
* Project approval: December 11, 2014
* Contract award: December 23, 2014
* Ship 1 delivery: July 31, 2020
* Ship 2 delivery: July 15, 2021
* Ship 3 delivery: September 2, 2022
* Initial Operating Capability: December 13, 2022
* Ship 4 delivery: August 30, 2023
* Ship 5 delivery: August 29, 2024
* Ship 6 delivery: August 2025
* Final Operating Capability: 2026

Quick facts

Timeline
* 2007: Nanisivik Naval Facility (NNF) announced;
* 2008: Jetty corrosion observed;
* 2010: NNF originally expected operational in 2010;
* 2012: Scope reduced to contain costs;
* 2014: Construction contract awarded and early prep begins;
* 2015–2019: Seasonal construction and commissioning progress;
* 2020–2022: COVID/road washout delays, 2022 valve issues delay commissioning;
* January 2022: Jetty repair approval cited; procurement/cost viability issues persist;
* November 2022: Office of the Auditor General Report referenced reduced operating window due to constraints;
* 2024: Updated Infrastructure and Environment and Royal Canadian Navy lines: jetty repair planning not finalized;
* 2024–2044: Northern Operational Support Hubs (NOSH) program investment horizon ($2.67 billion).
Responsible Principals: Royal Canadian Navy, Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure and Environment), (Policy)
Drafted by: Director General Policy Coordination: Parliamentary Affairs
Date Approved: June 4, 2026