Nova Scotia hires two contractors to remove collapsed crane from Halifax building

HALIFAX—Days after declaring a localized state of emergency to speed up the removal of a construction crane toppled as post-tropical storm Dorian swept through Halifax, the Nova Scotia government has hired two contractors to take down the ruined crane.

The province said Harbourside Engineering Consultants Ltd. and R&D Crane Operator Ltd. will be responsible for the project. The timeline, however, remains uncertain.

“With the complexity of the project, estimated timelines and approach will likely be revised as work begins,” the government said in a Sept. 23 release.

Watch: Dorion slams Maritimes, topples Halifax construction crane

The declaration of a state of emergency last week shifted the liability for potential damage during the crane’s removal to the province, according to Labour Minister Labi Kousoulis. He said the move was necessary because it was taking the building’s developer and the crane’s owner too long to get private insurance. Residents have not been able to return to the area since the crane fell Sept. 7 and local businesses have not been allowed to reopen.

Last week, a senior structural engineer with Harbourside Engineering Consultants Ltd., said the crane’s removal presents a challenge because almost every piece of it is damaged in some way.

The state of emergency will remain in effect until early October unless the government ends or extends it.