Our Projects
Raising the Bar at Every Turn
Engineering Design and Innovation
Every project that Harbourside undertakes is backed by our commitment to engineering excellence. Our work is characterized by thorough communication and comprehensive design. We see the whole picture. At every step, Harbourside redefines the meaning of quality engineering. With seasoned professionals from every sector of the industry, we are able to solve even the most technically challenging projects. Both throughout Atlantic Canada, and on the international stage, our work has been recognized by highest supervising bodies. The award-winning projects below are a testament to the calibre of the engineering performed at Harbourside.
Carter’s Point Wharf 410 Reconstruction
Carter’s Point Wharf was an existing deteriorating structure requiring replacement, so Harbourside Engineering was hired by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Small Craft Harbours, to design the demolition and reconstruction work with a berlin wall structure. The project also included the engineering design and construction of a new launching ramp and containment cell to store the dredge materials created during construction. The project’s design phase was completed in 2023, with construction wrapping up in 2025.
MacKay and Macdonald Bridges: Forensic Investigation and Rehabilitation of Concrete Foundations
W.S. Langley, as a division of Harbourside Geotechnical Consultants, was responsible for the condition assessment of the pier foundations for both the Macdonald and the MacKay Bridges in Halifax, Nova Scotia. W.S. Langley and Harbourside also developed the concrete mixture proportions for the rehabilitation of the pier foundations by means of concrete encapsulation. These bridges function as two of the main transportation arteries within the city, and their proper functioning is crucial.
Halifax International Airport Stand-by Parking Lot
Harbourside Transportation Consultants were retained by the Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA) to complete a review of available options for stand-by parking and to develop a solution to provide additional spaces at the largest airport in Nova Scotia, the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Harbourside Geotechnical Consultants also conducted the geotechnical investigation portion of this project for quality assurance and control at the project site.
MCC Solar PV Installations
The Municipality of Colchester (MCC) had reached out to industry to provide the design, supply, and installation of four net-metered solar PV systems in Colchester County, Nova Scotia, and contracted Harbourside Project Management to manage all aspects of the delivery between 2023 and 2025. Harbourside would act as Municipality’s representative during all stages of construction and the internal point of contact by leading communication with all stakeholders at the various solar facilities.
CCG SAR Geotechnical & Servicing Study
The Canadian Coast Guard engaged Harbourside to support the planning and design of a newly proposed CCG Search and Rescue Station (CCG-SAR) at the Freeport (South Cove) Small Craft Harbour on Long Island, Digby County, Nova Scotia. Along with allowing for larger vessels, the new SAR station will offer upgraded services and a larger dedicated berth. The placement of a new facility within Freeport also helps to make the station more accessible.
Little Harbour (L’Ardoise) Reconstruction
Harbourside Engineering was engaged as the prime consultant for the reconstruction of the existing timber cribwork marginal wharf on the west side of Little Harbour (L’Ardoise) in Richmond County, Nova Scotia. The services provided can be broken down into distinct phases: pre-design services, design services, tender support, contract administration, and construction services. Design work for this project was completed in February 2020, and construction finished in November 2023.
Hampton Structures 404 & 603 Reconstruction
In 2022, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Small Craft Harbours, noted that structure 404 (a pier) and structure 603 (a marginal wharf) were in poor condition at Hampton Harbour, Nova Scotia. Harbourside was hired to design the reconstructed structures, including the removal and reconstruction of the armour stone revetment at Structure 603 and tie-ins to existing structures on three sides. The design was completed in February 2023, and a final structural tender package was prepared in April 2023.
Feltzen South EII Reconstruction
Harbourside Engineering Consultants was hired by Public Works and Government Services Canada on behalf of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Small Craft Harbours, to design a replacement structure for the Feltzen South Ell Wharf in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. The reconstruction of the wharf and the added breakwater help support local fishers by modernizing and updating outdated infrastructure. Construction was completed during the first two weeks of lobster fishing season, the harbour’s busiest months, in December 2022.
Université Sainte-Anne Track and Field Facility
Harbourside was retained by Tate Engineering as part of the design of the Université Sainte-Anne track and field facility in Church Point, Nova Scotia. Harbourside provided recommendations and construction supervision to limit settlements and meet the strict track requirements despite the poor native soil conditions and low-quality fills on the site at the start of the work. Harbourside’s scope of work included carrying out a geotechnical test pit investigation, site inspection, and engineering recommendations for soft soil conditions.
Peggy’s Cove Infrastructure Improvements
Peggy’s Cove is one of Nova Scotia’s most iconic tourist attractions, drawing approximately 700,000 visitors annually. In recent years, the popularity of Peggy’s Cove has created issues in relation to crowds, traffic, servicing, and vehicular and pedestrian infrastructure. To address this, Develop Nova Scotia commissioned the Peggy’s Cove Master Plan, where Harbourside led the design, tendering and construction management of a variety of infrastructure improvements at Peggy’s Cove. Harbourside, in collaboration with Englobe Corporation, was named the 2023 recipient of the Nova Scotia Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Engineering for this project.
Canada Border Services Agency Warehouse
Harbourside carried out a geotechnical investigation for the new Canada Border Services Agency container examination facility in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The project required multiple specializations, and Harbourside handled the project management in conjunction with the Halifax Port Authority. Harbourside Project Management acted as the owner representative for this project, the associated developments at the PSA maintenance garage, and the South End Container Crane Stowage Foundations, all of which were completed by 2023.
Pier C Terminal Expansion
Harbourside provided geotechnical and site services to the Halifax Port Authority related to the construction of the Pier C Extension for the Port of Halifax’s South End Container Terminal in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from 2018 to 2020. The purpose of the geotechnical investigation was to assess the subsurface soil and bedrock conditions at the site and to provide geotechnical recommendations to aid with the design and construction of the extension. This expansion will help create new jobs and provide further opportunity for growth throughout the Maritimes.
Halifax Harbour Bridges : Annual Inspections
Harbourside Engineering Consultants has completed annual structural inspections of both the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge and the A. Murray MacKay Bridge in Halifax, Nova Scotia, owned and operated by Halifax Harbour Bridges (HHB), from 2010 to present. As the two main connectors between peninsular Halifax and the city of Dartmouth, the municipality is dependent on the continued operations of both bridges. Inspection reporting includes element condition, defect identification, and recommended maintenance.
Little Liscomb Wharf Reconstruction
Harbourside was engaged as the prime consultant to complete the planning, design, and contract administration for the encapsulation of one section of timber crib wharf at the Little Liscomb Wharf, Nova Scotia. Work was broken down into four phases: the preliminary design phase, the detailed design phase, the tender phase, and the construction and project closeout phase. During construction, Harbourside oversaw the onsite construction work to ensure compliance with applicable permits.
Canada Creek Small Craft Harbour Reconstruction
Harbourside Engineering was engaged by Public Services and Procurement Canada to deliver the full redevelopment of the Canada Creek Small Craft Harbour at the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. Harbourside provided end-to-end engineering services, from conceptual planning through detailed design and construction phase support. The new harbour infrastructure was designed to provide long-term reliability in one of the most challenging marine environments in Atlantic Canada and was given to the Annapolis Valley First Nation in 2019.
Hall’s Harbour Wharf Replacement
Harbourside Engineering Consultants was hired by Public Works and Government Services on behalf of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Small Craft Harbours, to design a replacement structure for the Hall’s Harbour Wharf in Nova Scotia. This structure would need to house three commercial fishing vessels, along with requiring updated lighting and electrical systems, as advised by RSEI Consultants Ltd. The project’s engineering design phase was completed by 2015, and construction finished in 2018.
St. Peter’s Swing Bridge Replacement
Harbourside Engineering Consultants was contracted by Dexter Construction to provide specialist structural construction engineering services for the replacement of the existing St Peter’s Swing Bridge in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The new structure is a two lane, two span bobtail swing bridge over the historic St. Peter’s Canal. It consists of a cast-in-place reinforced concrete deck supported by twin trapezoidal steel box girders, founded on cast-in-place concrete piers and abutments complete with socketed piles.
Maritime Link
The Maritime Link Project involved the construction of hundreds of kilometers of power transmission infrastructure in 2017 to allow Nova Scotia to import renewable energy from Muskrat Falls in Labrador. Harbourside worked on several phases of the Maritime Link Project, with involvement beginning with planning and extended to the completion of construction. The connection provided by the Maritime Link is one more step towards a greener future for Nova Scotia, who intends to be carbon net zero by 2035.
MacKenzie River Bridge Replacement
Harbourside Transportation Consultants completed the design of the vertical and horizontal alignments, from initial concept layouts through to detailed design and tender, for the new approaches for the MacKenzie Bridge Replacement in 2016. The objective of the alignment design was to be able to construct the new bridge while maintaining traffic on the existing structure and improving the geometry on the roadway approaches. The updated bridge now meets modern guidelines, making it much safer than its predecessor.
THE BIG LIFT: Angus L. MacDonald Redecking Project
The existing deck and stiffening truss of the Angus L. Macdonald (ALM) Bridge, spanning over the Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia, were nearing the end of their service life and needed replacement. The project consisted of the design of the new suspended deck and stiffening truss, as well as the analysis of the bridge during erection and the design of the main erection equipment. Harbourside received the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Engineering in 2018 for its work on The Big Lift.