Tendering process begins for Arctic naval facility

The federal government is looking for a company to build the proposed Nanisivik naval facility.

The government has issued a "Request for Qualifications"the first step in the tendering process.

It's looking for a company with experience building in the Arctic.

The document estimates the cost of the construction to be $56 million. It's not clear whether that will cover all the work.

The federal government has already budgeted more than $100 million for the facility.

The project has been fraught with setbacks since it was first announced in 2007.

The original plans for a large Arctic naval facilitywere quietly scaled back last year, and the project's environmental screening hit a snag this spring, whenNunavut regulators sent the plans back to the Department of National Defencefor more work.