'You could have increased all-year traffic going in and out of that area in Lancaster Sound.&#39

A Nova Scotia Member of Parliament says the military should hold off on $100 million in planned upgrades to the dock at Nanisivik until it completes an environmental assessment.

New Democratic MP Peter Stoffer visited Resolute Bay, Arctic Bay and Iqaluit in December. He said the federal government failed to consult with the community and worries about the environmental impact of increased naval traffic in Lancaster Sound.

"You could have increased all-year traffic going in and out of that area in Lancaster Sound," he said. "What does that do to the natural environment in terms of fisheries?"

Stoffer's also concerned about the impact of military and commercial traffic on the variety of whale species in the area.

Last August, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Nanisivik would be home to the much-sought port, along with plans for a High Arctic army base in Resolute Bay and more money for the Canadian Rangers.

The Canadian Forces plan a $100-million upgrade to the existing dock at Nanisivik, with construction to begin in 2010 and the facility fully operational by 2015.

Navy spokeswoman Lt.-Cmdr. Sue Stefko said there will be an environmental assessment done on the area. It will be done over the next two to three years but Stefko said it was too early to provide specifics.

"It's going to be something that unfolds rather slowly. The process of getting people engaged and starting to think towards this has started," she said. "Nothing official has been done yet… We're just kind of pulling information together and starting."

Stefko said the Navy plans to send a team this summer to examine the site and make recommendations about what needs to be upgraded. She said it's likely the Navy will expand the dock to handle military ships and make improvements to the existing 14-million-litre fuel tank farm.

Ottawa views Nanisivik as an ideal gateway to the Northwest Passage. With a runway long enough to handle jets and a dock and fuel tank farm left over from the town's mining days, Nanisivik has been used by the Coast Guard as a resupply stop for several years.

The Navy now plans to get in on that, using the site as "a staging area for naval vessels on station in the high Arctic, enabling them to re-supply, refuel, embark equipment and supplies, and transfer personnel," according to a government backgrounder on the project.

"This will extend the range of our ships in the Arctic during the navigable season (approximately June to October)," the document reads.

Quttiktuq MLA Levi Barnabas, who accompanied Stoffer during his visit, wasn't available for comment.