Nova Scotia

Inspection halts construction of replacement for crane that toppled during Dorian

An inspector from the Department of Labour and Advanced Education arrived at the construction site in downtown Halifax this week and discovered the partially assembled crane was leaning to one side.

Crane in downtown Halifax was partially rebuilt this week when it was found to be leaning to one side

A worker walks alongside a section of crane that had to be dismantled Tuesday evening. (Brett Ruskin/CBC)

When it comes to erecting cranes in downtown Halifax, it seems the third time's the charm.

Earlier this week, pieces of a new crane were arranged at the site where a previous crane had failed. Last September, the tall yellow crane collapsed in the face of strong winds from post-tropical storm Dorian, its various sections ending up draped over a nearby building. 

The replacement crane has had issues now, too. Tuesday morning, crews hoisted up sections, stacked them one atop another, and bolted them together.

An inspector from the Department of Labour and Advanced Education arrived to inspect the partially assembled crane and discovered it was leaning to one side.

"The crane assembly was stopped by the developer due to the angle of the tower," said an emailed statement from Shannon Kerr, a spokesperson for the Department of Labour and Advanced Education.

The inspector ordered the developer, WM Fares, to have the crane's base assessed by an engineer. 

By Wednesday morning, the base had been assessed and construction began for a third time at the site.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brett Ruskin

Reporter/Videojournalist

Brett Ruskin is a reporter and videojournalist covering everything from local breaking news to national issues. He's based in Halifax.