Premier defends contract with American company to strip Macdonald Bridge

Taryn Grant · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 17, 2025 3:09 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

In spite of earlier pronouncements that Nova Scotia would cancel and debar contracts with Americans to protestation tariffs, Premier Tim Houston says a $70-million declaration with an American institution for enactment connected a Halifax span is indispensable for the involvement of nationalist safety.

A declaration betwixt Halifax Harbour Bridges and Liberty Blastech, announced earlier this week, includes 2 years of enactment to portion and repaint the towers of the Macdonald Bridge.

Liberty Blastech is registered successful Nova Scotia but its directors are, respectively, the heads of companies successful Maryland and Ohio.

Houston told reporters Thursday that the declaration was flagged for him earlier this year.

"I was funny to spot if determination was different mode to attack this, and you know, my knowing is that there's not," helium said pursuing a furniture meeting.

"There's not a Nova Scotian institution that is capable to bash this work, and I don't adjacent deliberation determination was a Canadian institution that was capable to bash the work." 

In March, erstwhile U.S. President Donald Trump launched a commercialized warfare with Canada, Houston said American businesses would nary longer beryllium allowed to bid connected provincial procurements, and the state would question to cancel existing contracts and cull existing bids.

So acold the state has backed distant from 11 contracts worthy a full of astir $130,000.

In the lawsuit of the bridge, Houston said it needed peculiar consideration.

"You person to bash this occupation right. There's nationalist information involved, truthful you person to marque definite that you're dealing with companies that are qualified and capable to bash the work, and successful this case, that's what we were faced with."

He highlighted that the span task volition root astir of its supplies and workers locally.

According to Halifax Harbour Bridges, 95 per cent of supplies volition beryllium bought successful Nova Scotia and 70 per cent of labourers volition beryllium local.

Opposition person Claudia Chender said the state should instrumentality a acquisition from this.

"I deliberation we could beryllium partnering with section operation companies and others successful antithetic ways to physique that capableness truthful that the adjacent clip we person a procurement similar that, we bash person that expertise," Chender said.

She said it's "great" that a ample portion of the workforce volition beryllium Nova Scotian, but she wouldn't expect immoderate different. She said that does not suffice the institution arsenic Nova Scotian. 

Chender called for much details from the state astir however it volition specify a institution arsenic Nova Scotian successful airy of its committedness to bounds procurement with Americans.

When asked whether the authorities has developed immoderate rules oregon guidelines for American bidders, Public Works Minister Fred Tilley said each task and declaration volition beryllium considered differently.

Liberal MLA Iain Rankin said helium took Houston astatine his connection that Liberty Blastech was the lone qualified company. But, similar Chender, helium said the state should bash much to marque ample contracts specified arsenic this 1 accessible for section companies