Crane, crane, go away, say Halifax businesses

There's no immediate end in sight for Halifax businesses struggling with a localized state of emergency due to a crane toppled during Hurricane Dorian.

The corner of Spring Garden Road and South Park Street has been mostly closed to cars and pedestrians since the crane came down four weeks ago. Parts of it remain hanging from a building under construction.

"I can't imagine the psychological toll," said Sue Uteck, the executive director of the Spring Garden Road Business Association. "One business has Christmas orders coming in and there's nowhere for it to go."

Some businesses have temporarily relocated.

Thumpers, a hairdressing business, has set up in Bayers Lake.

Walker Dunlop, a law firm, has crammed into two rooms on Hollis Street, but not having access to documents inside the South Park Street office has had some consequences.

"It's been a challenge," said Ian Gray, a lawyer with the firm. "We've had to, in some cases, put off trials and reschedule."

Some stores open, but shoppers struggle to get there

Some businesses, such as the children's clothing store Twiggz, are open. But customers are having a tough time figuring out how to get to the doors.

"It's difficult for sure," said Derek Honig, co-owner of Twiggz. "People are trying to support us and are stopping in."

But Honig estimates the number of customers at the Humani-T Cafe is down by about 75 per cent for this time of year.

Business owners are hoping the crane will be removed and the area reopened in the next four-to-six weeks. But Uteck said a definitive answer remains elusive until the crane is down and the building is inspected.

"A crane collapse is a very rare occurrence," said Uteck, "There was one in Texas this summer and it took three months."

There are also several residents of the nearby Trillium building who have not been allowed into their condominiums since the crane fell.

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