Archana Cini, Lookout Newspaper

Contributions by Scott Kimmett, Master/Chief Engineer King’s Harbour Master (KHM)

  • DND team reactivates the Nanisivik Naval Fueling Facility in Nunavut after years of dormancy, with the missions spanning two trips — nine days in July and two weeks in September.
  • The team successfully de-winterized and consolidated 500,000 litres of diesel fuel for donation to the Government of Nunavut.
  • The mission was successful in spite of extreme weather, no connectivity, and limited documentation. The mission provided hands-on Arctic training and cost savings for future DND operations.

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A small but determined team from the Department of National Defence (DND) recently travelled to one of Canada’s most remote Arctic outposts to reactivate a facility long asleep under the snow.

The mission began in July, when Barge Master Scott Kimmett of the Port Operations and Emergency Services Branch (POESB) joined DND colleagues from across the nation at the Nanisivik Naval Fueling Facility for a nine-day operation, the first of its kind. The mission continued into the fall with a second, two-week trip North to the facility in late September. Their goal? To de-winterize, reactivate, and consolidate stored diesel at the site, preparing the recovered fuel for donation to the Government of Nunavut.

Located on the grounds of a former lead-zinc mine, the Nanisivik naval facility is found on the northern end of Baffin Island, Nunavut, both a remote and strategically significant part of Canada. Before the team could begin operations, nearly 8,000 pounds of equipment were airlifted from Iqaluit to Arctic Bay, where it was then trucked across the tundra to the isolated site.

“Upon arrival, we found the base fully winterized,” said Kimmett. “With no team members having prior experience at the site and limited procedural documentation available, much of our efforts involved tracing systems, removing blanked piping, and reinstalling components.”

Following the reinstallation, the team then tackled an extensive troubleshooting phase to program the facility’s systems and clear active faults. Working in a remote location without internet access or cellular connectivity, challenges were compounded without access to technical resources in real time.

“Many of our tasks demanded improvised solutions beyond the plant’s original design,” noted Kimmett.

Despite its challenges, the team successfully completed the operation by consolidating the facility’s remaining diesel fuel at just a fraction of the cost originally quoted by civilian contractors. Furthermore, utilizing DND expertise for the operation proved both efficient and invaluable for the facility’s future.

“The deployment provided hands-on experience to our team, who are now familiar with the processes required to winterize, reactivate, and operate the plant — knowledge that will streamline future operations,” said Kimmet.

Daily life during the operation was equally demanding as technical work. With the base’s accommodations shut down, the team stayed in a hotel at Arctic Bay and commuted to the site daily under the watchful eye of a bear monitor, an armed local hired to protect the crew from polar bears and other dangerous mammals. Realities were also underscored when weather delays and mechanical issues left the team stranded in Iqaluit for several days during their return trip. During the trip in September the defueling process was completed with approximately 500,000 liters of fuel successfully defueled to the oil/chemical bulk carrier ship KITIKMEOT, which will then disperse the fuel to local Arctic communities.