HALIFAX -- A new public walkway at Halifax’s South End Container Terminal gives the public the chance to stroll past some of the biggest ships in the world, and the giant cranes used to load them.
Cargo cranes are always impressive from a distance, but up close, the height of the 51-metre structure at the Halifax port is dizzying.
“I didn’t realize how big they were actually. They are a lot taller than I thought,” says Rebecca Wolfe. ”It’s pretty neat to get up close to them and to see the perspective from the end of the pier, which is something I’ve always been curious about. It’s a really beautiful, majestic view of the Harbour.”
The new walkway is a 137-metre extension to the previous path, parallel to the addition to the Port of Halifax cargo terminal.
“What we realized is we needed to extend the pier length in the south container terminal by about 135 metres, so we could have multiple berthing options for when those ships come into place,” says Lane Farguson, communications manager at the Halifax Port Authority.
There are only a few ports in the world that have the ability to berth ultra-class ships.
With the addition of a second super-post-Panamax crane, Halifax can now welcome two of them at a time.
When those ships do call on the port, the sights promise to be even more impressive than they are today.
“For harbour watchers or people that are interested in harbour activity, it’s a great opportunity to go out there and see what’s happening, and to give you that perspective that you wouldn’t otherwise get,” says Farguson.
Those who braved the chilly wind for an up-close look at the ship and machinery were not disappointed on Tuesday.
“It’s really photogenic, it’s really good,” says Siddharth Belvalkar.
A sky-high perspective that is sure to be another popular stop along the Halifax Waterfront.
