1 year later and report into Halifax crane collapse still not complete

One year after post-tropical storm Dorian collapsed a construction crane in downtown Halifax, causing millions in damage, there is no clear signal when the province’s investigation will be finished.

Since Sept. 7, 2019, the day that the crane came down as a result of 120 km/h winds, the Nova Scotia government has remained tight-lipped on its investigation into the crane’s collapse.

No one was injured as a result of the crane’s collapse but it resulted in a hefty tab for the province as it shut down a stretch of South Park Street between Morris and Spring Garden Road for two months as engineers and specialists figured out how to remove the collapsed crane.

On Thursday the Department of Labour and Advanced Education said the investigation into the collapse is still ongoing and that it is committed to releasing a summary report once it is completed.

“(That) is expected in the coming months,” said Shannon Kerr, a spokesperson for the department of labour.

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That’s the same answer that was shared with Global News in June when the department said the COVID-19 pandemic had created some “challenges” in the report’s completion.

The province spent approximately $2 million in taxpayer money to clean up the crane and the province says it remains committed to recouping the costs of the fallen crane.

However, Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Lloyd Hines said there’s no way to determine what to do in terms of recovering funds until the report is complete.

Many business owners on the stretch of South Park Street that was closed for months in the wake of the crane collapse have filed a class-action lawsuit seeking compensation from developers and contractors associated with the toppled crane.

Their efforts are also stymied by the incomplete report.

—With files from Sarah Ritchie and Elizabeth McSheffrey