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BY JACK BURTON
Teaming up FROM THE EDITOR
This past June saw downtown Edmonton filled with some of the finest in the game gathering to represent Canada by competing, collaborating, and showing off their skills – and despite the team’s overall valiant effort, I’m not talking about the Oilers.
Though it was a privilege to be within a square kilometre of that McDavid magic as his team kicked off the Stanley Cup finals right outside the window of my hotel room, there were even bigger wins to celebrate as the heavy lifting industry gathered for the Canadian Crane Rental Association (CCRA)’s 2025 conference.
The CCRA’s annual conference in Edmonton gave the industry plenty to cheer for, including a rooftop view of the crowd for the Oilers’ Game 1 win.
Being on the doorstep of the Stanley Cup finals is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a Torontonian such as myself, but it was even more inspiring to see members of Canada’s heavy lifting industry, no matter the company or province they were representing, coming together to cheer on the sector as a whole.
If the turnout at the Icehouse rooftop lounge for Game 1 was anything to go by, we all love a little competition. But to me, the conference really illustrated what healthy competition looks like, and the many benefits it can bring to a sector.
Take the CCRA’s stellar Lift of the Year awards, for example: while every nominee
presented outstanding lifts that showed they were clearly in it to win it – which you can read more about in this very issue –each presentation was made with an eagerness to dissect the blueprint of what makes a lift great, from the processes to the people, so that everyone across the sector can learn and grow from examples of what the industry is capable of.
Aside from the pleasure of finally getting to move past the Zoom calls and email threads I’ve had with so many of you to finally connect in person, I came away from the conference having learned a lot. Chief among all of this, though, was learning that at the end of the day, you’re all playing for the same team, with every goal scored at the organizational level also being a win for the sector at large.
The spirit of working (and winning) together was evident in every panel and coffe break chat, whether the conversation was about load charts or Leon Draisaitl. In all discussions, the throughline was clear: this is a sector that thrives when it shares its knowledge.
Hosting the conference’s crane leadership forum showed me firsthand how this collaborative approach steers the sector into a winning position: with each panelist representing a different company and province, the leaders I spoke to were candid about some of the major issues faced by the sector, from labour shortages to safety challenges, and were keen to share their solutions and experiences navigating these obstacles and much more.
These leaders sent the message that collaboration across the sector is more than just a convenience, it’s a necessity in building a future-ready industry.
I’m excited to connect again in Halifax next year for another week of expert lifts, killer knowledge, and a team spirit that rivals even the loudest chants from downtown Edmonton. While only one team can take home the Cup, this industry is different: when one of you wins, you all do.
Jack Burton jburton@annexbusinessmedia.com
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Tower cranes decommissioned as Gordie Howe International Bridge nears completion
The Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority has announced that after five years of helping to build the Gordie Howe International Bridge (GHIB), the pair of Comansa 21LC1050 tower cranes erected on the site are being decommissioned as the project enters the home stretch.
Both cranes were installed over a three-day process in 2020, spending half a decade as a fixture of the Windsor-Detroit skyline as the machines helped construct the bridge’s support towers, which stand at 220 metres above the Detroit River.
Each crane was incrementally raised during the towers’ construction process, eventually reaching a height of 243 metres each.
Manny Pavia, the WDBA’s manager of communications, explains that with the deck connected, the GHIB has reached its last season of construction, with the installation of safety and accessibility features comprising the last stretch of this monumental project.
“We have an estimated five per cent of construction work remaining, prioritizing safety and quality,” he said. “We also need to provide reasonable time for the border agencies to fit out their facilities and prepare for operations.”
Falcon Equipment’s Crane Rodeo returns to B.C. this September
Falcon Equipment’s fourth annual Crane Rodeo is set to take place on September 6 at Falcon Equipment’s Surrey, B.C. branch.
The Crane Rodeo brings together operators, industry professionals and crane enthusiasts from across the country for Canada’s largest knuckleboom crane competition.
These challenges include the main rodeo, a hook n’hoop competition and a rail spike toss, with Falcon sharing that the difficulty has been increased based on feedback from 2024’s sold-out event.
The event will also feature food trucks, giveaways and a kids’ corner running alongside the main competition.
Mobile Cranes Canada joins Franna’s global distribution network
Cross-provincial lifting equipment provider Mobile Cranes Canada is now an official distributor for Franna, an Australian-based Terex subsidiary focused on pick and carry cranes.
Based in Nisku, Alta., Mobile Cranes Canada will represent Franna across Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
The first phase of this partnership includes Mobile Cranes Canada’s acquisition of Franna’s AT24 US, engineered specifically for the needs of
After five years in operation, the pair of Comansa 21LC1050 tower cranes erected on the Gordie Howe International Bridge are being decommissioned as the project enters the home stretch.
the North American market. The AT24 US includes Franna’s proprietary Dynamic Load Movement Indicator (LMI), integrated overload protection and an ergonomically-designed cabin. The machine made its Canadian debut at April’s Alberta Heavy Equipment Show.
“We are excited to become an official distributor for Franna cranes in Canada,” said Jeremy Ferrett, director of Mobile Cranes Canada. “With Franna’s phenomenal reputation already established in their home market of Australia, this collaboration allows us to bring innovative lifting solutions to our customers across Canada, enhancing their operational capabilities.”
Western Canada’s NCSG rebrands to Barnhart
Western Canada’s NCSG Crane & Rigging has officially rebranded to Barnhart, following Barnhart’s acquisition of the company in June 2024.
Effective immediately, NCSG’s eight branches – with five in Alberta, two in British Columbia and one in Saskatchewan – will operate under the Barnhart name. The branches will continue to specialize in providing crane and heavy haul services to industries including refining, upstream oil and gas, utilities, forestry, mining, and wind energy.
Approximately 400 personnel are employed across the company’s locations in Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie and Bonnyville, Alta.; Fort St. John and Terrace in B.C.; and Regina, Sask.
Barnhart’s acquisition of NCSG last year marked the company’s largest acquisition to date and first expansion into the Canadian market. These acquired locations will join Barnhart’s network of 70 branches across North America, gaining access to one of the industry’s largest inventories of specialized lifting tools.
“While the Canadian company has an impeccable reputation, rebranding as Barnhart emphasizes the access that Canadian customers have to the wide range of engineered solutions offered by one of North America’s largest crane, rigging and logistics providers,” said Barnhart president David Webster.
PHOTO:
GORDIE HOWE INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE
Mobile Cranes Canada is now an official distributor for Franna, an Australian-based Terex subsidiary focused on pick and carry cranes. PHOTO: TEREX
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Big wins in Edmonton
New board appointments, awards, and announcements coming out of the CCRA’s 2025 conference.
The Canadian Crane Rental Association (CCRA)’s annual conference celebrated the connections, achievements and vibrant community that drives the industry forward. The thrill of shaking hands and breaking bread together in person are some of the greatest rewards of belonging to the Canadian Crane Rental Association.
With a small but mighty team, the CCRA wrapped up another extraordinary conference with highlights including the Oilers’ winning game, the election of new directors, and the presentation of prestigious awards. This year, the Oilers’ thrilling first game victory coincided with the conference’s infamous get together, making the night unforgettable.
The CCRA made two new additions to its board of directors: Jim Littlemore, a 40-year crane industry veteran and regional director of central Canada for Sterling Crane in Edmonton, and Robert Blois, a 20-year veteran and general manager at R&D Crane in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
The board also elected Guillaume Gagnon, vice president of GUAY Inc. to the position of secretary-treasurer while Mike Lavoie, operations manager at Myshak Crane & Rigging Ltd. in Alberta assumed the role of vice-chair.
Ryan Long, President of A.W. Leil Cranes & Equipment in Nova Scotia moved to chair position with Steve Anema, vice president of TNT Crane & Rigging assuming the role of past chair. Shannon Moir-Riendeau and Trevor Eckert were recognized for their extraordinary contributions during their respective terms.
Bill Stramer, vice president of sales at Link-Belt Cranes was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the conference gala. A 27-year member of the CCRA, he dedicated his career to the advancement of industry associations and helped build strong relationships with trade media and other associations. Bill Stramer retired at the end of June.
The Safety Awards placed 14 crane rental companies on centre stage for their commitment and dedication in creating a
5 years: AMCS Technologies (Collégien, France); Arsenal Engineering Ltd. (Abbotsford, B.C.); Bow City Crane Service Ltd. (Calgary, Alta.); Capacity Truck & Crane Service Inc. (Abbotsford, B.C.); Morrow Equipment Company LLC. (Brantford, Ont.); Revolution Crane & Transport (Nisku, Alta)
healthy and safe work environment for their staff, operators, and the public.
Member organizations were also recognized for their long-standing commitment to the industry and the association through the presentation of the CCRA’s Longevity Awards:
25 years: Moir Crane Service (Oldcastle, Ont.)
20 years: Associated Wire Rope & Rigging Inc. (Playa Del Ray, CA, USA); Kito Crosby Canada (Burnaby, B.C.)
10 years: Bigfoot Crane Company Inc. (Abbotsford, B.C.); Crane Hot Line (Fort Dodge, IA); Greenfield Products (Hazel Crest, IL); RKM Crane Services Ltd. (Langley, B.C.); Sarens Canada Inc. (Leduc, Alta.)
The CCRA also introduced the Maple Lift hardhat sticker, aimed at generating conversations around mental health and suicide prevention in the construction field. Representatives and speakers joined from Permitting & Evaluation, Driver, Carrier & Vehicle Services, Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors, the Specialized Professional Services unit within the Occupational Health and Safety Program Delivery (OHSPD) and the University of Alberta’s Engineering Department, with the latter’s Bridge Formula Research Project receiving international attention and showcasing global impacts of the association’s work.
This research would not be possible without the support of the CCRA’s corporate partners and the diligent planning of the annual conference. Fundraising initiatives will soon be supported by the Canadian Crane Industry Foundation (CCIF), currently in development. Once registered, the start-up board of directors for the CCIF will be led by Steve Anema, Shannon Moir-Riendeau, Don Hnatuk and Dean MacDonald.
Two days later, CCRA leadership attended the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators’ annual meeting and participated in industry consultation in Winnipeg. As the CCRA continues to work toward the harmonization of weights and dimensions of all-terrain cranes across Western provinces, a group of crane rental companies are joining forces in the Maritimes.
The CSA Group has also opened the CSA Z248 code for tower cranes for public review, and the CSA Z150 code will soon be available for review. Committees are growing and involving a greater number of industry subject matter experts and expanding beyond international boundaries.
Among the awards presented at the conference was the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to Link-Belt’s Bill Stramer (middle) by CCRA executive director Claire Bélanger-Parker (left) and former past chair Shannon Moir-Riendeau (right). PHOTO: CCRA/ JOSH BOWIE PHOTOGRAPHY
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Heavyweight champs
Inside
the winners and nominees of the CCRA’s 2025 Canadian Lift of the Year Awards.
The Canadian Lift of the Year Awards are a highlight of the Canadian Crane Rental Association’s annual conference, recognizing outstanding lifts from across the country in both the Under 20 Tonnes and Over 20 Tonnes category.
Lifts were judged by a panel based on criteria including method of the lift, planning, site and lifting conditions, and risk control. Nominees presented their lifts on June 5, with the winners announced at the Conference Gala on June 6.
Mammoet Canada Western took home the Canadian Lift of the Year Award in the Over 20 Tonnes Category for the transportation and installation of a massive reactor in Alberta for Shell Canada, with New Brunswick’s Irving Equipment Ltd. winning in the Under 20 Tonnes category for repair work on one of NB Power’s utility towers in Nackawic, New Brunswick.
Congratulations to this year’s winners and nominees, and check out the stories behind each standout lift across both categories below!
OVER 20 TONNES
WINNER
Mammoet Canada Western
Mammoet Canada Western took home the Canadian Lift of the Year Award in the Over 20 Tonnes category for its work transporting and installing two 670-tonne ethylene oxide reactors for Shell Canada at their Scotford site in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. during February of 2025.
To accommodate the unusually high weight of the 23-metre-long reactors during their transportation from the manufacturer to Shell’s Scotford site, Mammoet’s engineering team fabricated highframes using four P55 beams from a gantry system, with each load and frame mounted onto large turntables on 26-line double wide InterCombi modular trailers.
The addition of the turntables was necessary to facilitate the 90-degree turn required to enter the site. In total, the configuration reached more than 140 metres in length and broke records for the heaviest payload transported on Alberta’s highways at 1,760 tonnes of gross vehicle weight.
Mammoet Canada Western’s winning lift in the Over 20 Tonnes category set a record for heaviest gross payload transported on Alberta’s highways. PHOTO: MAMMOET
The site’s location required the vessels to be moved either underneath or overtop of a live pipe rack, with excavation not feasible due to in-ground infrastructure that could not be disturbed. Mammoet’s solution was a Liebherr LR11350 crawler crane with superlift at the head of the vessel, which was used in conjunction with a j-stick tailing frame mounted onto SPMTs.
While the second day of the lift provided operators with ideal weather, winter conditions of -25 degrees on the first day caused some slightly delays due to the necessary cold weather protocols, said Mammoet Canada Western’s senior operations director Curtis Barnett.
“It’s about a 45-minute procedure you have to run through with the crane, so it did actually create a little bit of a time constraint, because you couldn’t be hooked on to the head end in the morning, you had to actually cycle winches and so on.”
RKM Crane Services Ltd.
RKM Cranes Services Ltd. was nominated for the replacement of a lime kiln shell section in the lower mainland of British Columbia between June 14 and 17, 2024.
The project required the team to remove the lime kiln’s worn shell, while also overseeing the fabrication, assembly, transportation and installation of a new 135-tonne shell section. RKM used two Liebherr LTM 1400-7.1 hydraulic all-terrain cranes, configured with 35-metre booms and 130 tonnes of counterweight per machine.
By using two machines, not only could RKM maneuver each end of the kiln more precisely, but also avoid any delays that would have come from preparing the site for a single, larger crane, said Matthew Blackwell, general manager of RKM Crane Services.
“Another factor that came about was the center of gravity,” Blackwell said. “When we added a 20 metric-tonne tyre to one end of the kiln, it gave us a center of gravity problem, which was also a big reason why we used the two cranes.”
With RKM coordinating the new shell to be manufactured overseas, it could not be directly delivered to the site by road. RKM oversaw the logistics of the delivery, using short sea shipping to transport the shell from the Port of Vancouver to the site in Howe Sound, B.C.
The new shell was offloaded from the barge using a 600-ton ring crane, and was offloaded at the site using powered dollies
RKM used short sea shipping to transport a kiln shell from the Port of Vancouver to the lifting site in Howe Sound, B.C.
upon arrival in Howe Sound. A barge was also used to mobilize both cranes to the site.
Sarens
Sarens’ lift of a reactor column for Shell Canada’s Scotford, Alta. site received a nomination in the Over 20 Tonnes category.
The project involved the lifting of a 360.7-tonne V-2176 Amine quench and absorber column, with Sarens developing the lift plan over a 10-month process.
This process resulted in a 42-page document outlining the lift plan, developed between the team, Sarens’ collaborators PCL Construction, and lifting experts from Shell Canada.
“Shell actually brought in their global lifting subject matter expert, who’s been with Shell for 27 years. He was smart, and double-checked everything we presented to him. He was present for everything – I actually had him surgically removed from me on December 9,” joked Sarens’ project manager Paul Betts.
For the lift, Sarens used a Tadano Demag CC 6800-1 as the main crane for the lift, which was equipped with 400-tonne superlift tray at 92.4% capacity. Sarens also used a Tadano Demag CC2800-with an 80-tonne superlift tray at 84.6% capacity as the tail crane for the operation.
A number of factors had to be accounted for in preparing for the lift, such as the conditions of the site: not only did the team have to contend with an extremely tight operational area, but temperatures of -30 degrees caused the ground to freeze, necessitating the use of double-layer crane mats. The extreme winter weather also meant reduced daylight hours and increased winds, with gusts reaching up to 2.6 m/s.
PHOTO: RKM CRANE SERVICES
Sarens, alongside PCL and Shell’s global lifting experts, developed the plan for the lifting of a 360.7-tonne V-2176 Amine quench and absorber column over a 10-month process.
PHOTO: SARENS
GUAY
The
Quebec’s GUAY received a nomination in the Over 20 Tonnes category for a kiln lifting operation performed for Descimco in January 2025 at the Nemaska Lithium site in Becancour, QC.
For the operation, GUAY used a Manitowoc MLC300 VPC-MAX lattice boom crawler and a Manitowoc 16000 MAX-ER lattice boom crawler crane. The project required a tandem lift of a 360-tonne kiln unit, followed by a synchronous crawl by both cranes.
Though Quebec’s road weight limitations would normally not allow a load of this size to be transported, the site’s accessibility through water-based transport provided GUAY with the opportunity to participate in one of the heaviest lifts in the company’s history,
“This factory was built near the St. Lawrence River, so they were able to bring the pieces by boat,” said GUAY’s executive VP Guillaume Gagnon. “Normally, our road does not allow us to transport that big of pieces, so for us, this was one of the biggest lifts in our history.”
On-site personnel for the lift included a supervisor, engineer, a mechanic with a service truck, and a pair of operators for each of the two cranes.
The operation was executed across two consecutive daytime shifts: one day for preparation and simulation, and an additional day for the operation itself.
GUAY lifted 70 feet into the air, with the cranes crawling 25 feet into place for final positioning. The lift was completed by carefully lowering and positioning the kiln onto its rollers to secure its final placement.
Mammoet Canada Eastern navigated the tight schedule of a 48-hour closure on Highway 7/8 near Kitchener, Ont. to install a 157-ft. long, 478,403-lb. pedestrian bridge.
PHOTO: MAMMOET
Mammoet Canada Eastern was nominated in the Over 20 Tonnes category the installation of a pedestrian bridge across Highway 7/8 in Kitchener, Ont. between August 24 and 25, 2024.
The team navigated a tight schedule during a 48-hour road closure, using a Liebherr LTM1650-8.1 all-terrain crane and a Tadano Demag AC500 all-terrain crane to lift both the pedestrian bridge and its built-in concrete deck into place over the highway.
The bridge and its deck weighed a combined 478,403 lbs., standing at 175 feet long and nearly 16 feet wide. The project required six lanes of highway to be closed from midnight on a Friday until Sunday night, with the team also creating a temporary road for the trailer out of crane mats within this timeframe.
The load was rigged roughly 700 feet away from the site and transported in on the temporary road after. The lift was complete by 4pm on the Saturday, with the team completing the teardown and restoration of the site on Sunday.
The site’s tight spatial requirements only allowed a maximum 0.5 degrees of twist along the longitudinal axis of the bridge, with specific rigging points used on the load to prevent the risk of twist.
UNDER 20 TONNES
WINNER
Irving Equipment Ltd.
Irving Equipment Ltd.’s win in the Under 20 Tonnes category was for its help in a transmission tower realignment performed for NB Power in Nackawic, New Brunswick between March and April of 2024.
NB Power contacted Irving Equipment after one of their transmission towers had suffered a failure in its foundation, which caused the tower to lean heavily to one side and bring the transmission lines out of alignment.
The damaged tower, which helped transport energy across the province and into the state of Maine, was located approximately 1.5km from the main road,
Mammoet Canada Eastern
lifting site’s location near the St. Lawrence River allowed GUAY to transport its load by water, which would otherwise have been limited by the weight restrictions of Quebec’s roads. PHOTO: GUAY
Irving Equipment Ltd.’s winning lift in the Under 20 Tonnes category facilitated the repair of a transmission tower that had fallen out of alignment near Nackawic, New Brunswick. PHOTO: IRVING EQUIPMENT
with the spring fog making the tower accessible only by tracked vehicles until a proper road was built.
After visiting the damaged tower, Irving and NB Power held a series of weekly to biweekly planning meetings to develop a process for navigating some of the job’s complex nuances, which included the creation of a scale model of the lifting site to visually run through the plan step by step.
The team moved a Liebherr LTM 1250-5.1 and a Link-Belt HTC86100 to the site on April 22, using the WindCrane app to monitor potential wind hazards and plan for safe operational conditions.
The realignment required the tower to be disconnected in three phases, with each segment lowered onto a series of router poles to keep them off the ground and minimize stress on the adjacent towers. Once back in alignment, the guide wires were connected and tightened to reinforce the tower.
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Prime Movers Rigging and Industrial Services
routine maintenance at the Edmonton International Airport in February of 2025.
For the lift, presented for consideration by ABCO Cranes’ Steven Willier and Pam Crawford, the team used a Manitex 4596 boom mounted on a T800 Kenworth crane truck to hoist up the helicopter for the annual replacement of its landing gear.
Spencer Hewlitt, general manager for Prime Movers Rigging and Industrial Services, presented his company’s nomination in the Under 20 Tonnes category for their demolition and installation of a rooftop cooling tower for Trotter & Morton in Calgary during February of 2025.
The Prime Movers team used elevators to transport the pumps and exchangers up the 450-foot tall building, though limited street access for cranes and overall building height required unique solutions for transporting each of the three 2,500-lb. dry coolers onto the roof.
To successfully navigate these access issues, Prime Movers custom-engineered a compact rooftop crane designed to lift the three coolers onto the roof before positioning them with a gantry crane.
The rooftop crane engineered by the team had a safe working limit of 4,000 lbs. based on the counterweights, with the rigging of the lift also making use of an 8,000-lb. hook block and 3-ft. spreader bars, each with a 15,000-lb. capacity.
Hewlitt said one of the challenges the team had to contend with during the lift was the occupied nature of the building during the daytime, with much of the demolition work conducted after-hours and compliant of noise restrictions.
ABCO Crane Services
Edmonton’s ABCO Crane Services was nominated for its job providing hoist support for an AirBus H145 helicopter, owned by STARS Air Ambulance, undergoing
This replacement procedure required the suspension of the 4,178-lb. AirBus within the hangar, with the team having to accommodate the overhead height restriction of 25 ft. caused by the bottom of the roof trusses.
The limitations caused by the hangar’s interior overhead were navigated by extending the crane’s boom to 48 ft. at a low angle in tandem with the usage of short rigging, while extensive use of spotters and support jacks helped ABCO navigate any physical challenges such as swing and tip points.
“This is one of those lifts as a crane company that you feel especially proud of,” said Willier and Crawford. “It’s not every day you feel like you’re helping those who are on the front lines, saving lives. ABCO is proud to play a role in supporting the heroes who make a life-saving impact every day.”
Mammoet Canada Western
Mammoet Canada Western was nominated in the Under 20 Tonnes category for its role clearing an estimated 1,360 tonnes rubble blocking a spillway following an emergency rock shear event at BC Hydro’s Terzaghi Dam, just north of Lillooet, British Columbia.
The Terzaghi Dam’s generators provide between six to eight per cent of B.C.’s overall electrical supply, with the fallout from the rock shear event deemed BC Hydro’s most critical repair of 2024.
The ongoing risks of rockfall following the event, alongside a lack of pre-existing roads to clearly access the spillway, required the team to use a Liebherr LTM 1400-7.1 equipped with an Elebia evo25 remote-controlled
magnetic hook block to lift two remote-controlled excavators into the spillway.
“Accessing this building was also a challenge of its own, as the road between Lillooet and Terzaghi is notoriously dangerous,” said Trevor Morgan, sales manager for Mammoet Canada Western. “Navigating the numerous switchbacks and blind corners of Highway 40 required pilot cars, spotters and a route study – the road conditions are not exactly ideal for large equipment.”
Mammoet used its proprietary Move3D heavy lift planning tool to assist BC Hydro and their geotechnical team in visualizing the access requirements for the project, with the software also transforming the client’s 2D drawings into critical lift details such as maximum working range and ideal loading zones for high wind conditions.
Mammoet safely completed the job two months ahead of schedule, using two Boscaro self-dumping bins hoisted by the crane to remove the large volume of rockfall.
Prime Movers custom engineered a compact rooftop crane to overcome access issues caused by urban density. PHOTO: PRIME MOVERS
ABCO Crane’s hoisting of a 4,178-lb. AirBus needed to accommodate the overhead height restrictions caused by the interior roof of the hangar. PHOTO: ABCO CRANE SERVICES
Mammoet Canada Western removed a total of 1,360 tonnes of rubble from a blocked spillway caused by a rock shear event at BC Hydro’s Terzaghi Dam. PHOTO: MAMMOET
Talking tariffs
What
do U.S. tariffs have in store for Canada’s crane sector? By Matt Jones
Asignature policy of Donald Trump’s second presidency has been the enaction – and threat – of tariffs on goods coming into the United States, with these protective tariffs intending to support competing domestic goods by increasing the cost of imports through a tax added onto imported goods.
Trump first suggested that he would issue an Executive Order to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican goods in November, as a retaliation due to what he cited as inadequate border controls.
In the following months, Trump also used the U.S. trade deficit with Canada as a justification for the tariffs, describing the deficit as a subsidy, with the U.S. President also beginning to speak of his desire to absorb Canada into the United States around this time.
In February, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced retaliatory 25% tariffs on imports from the United States.
With tariffs being announced and delayed several times in 2025 so far, the situation has been marked by rapid change and unpredictably, but as of early April many of the tariffs are in effect.
The new(est) normal
The direct impact of these tariffs on the Canadian crane sector are only starting to be felt, according to the crane business owners who spoke with Crane & Hoist Canada.
“The thing we’ve noticed a big difference on is with certain customers,” said Tristan Felbert, CEO of Toronto-based JT Crane and Rigging. “We had certain layaways – cranes locked up on site – that have been cancelled because of when that tariff came into effect and purchase orders were signed for steel jobs.”
“We got shut down on a couple of sites that aren’t going to continue,” he said of the impact, sharing that his company has lost at least three projects and has had to lay off a few of their employees stemming from reasons he attributes to the ongoing trade issues.
Felbert said that material orders from distribution plants have also slowed down since the tariff issues arose. The company also performs work with the HVAC sector, and while Felbert had not seen impacts on that side of their business at the time of his statements, he expects they will come soon, and could also very easily see these tariffs impacting the availability of parts.
“Let’s say one of the manufacturer crane companies have a certain holding valve or something that has to come up from the States – the price is going to be significantly higher,” said Felbert. “But I also anticipate there would be a delay. I haven’t personally run into that just because – knock on wood – we’ve been lucky. Everything we’ve needed so far has just been on the shelf. But if it’s going to be cross-border, I’m sure it’s going to be a headache.”
Felbert also noted that crane sourcing itself is likely to become more expensive: while many of the big crane OEMs such as Liebherr are based in Europe, their North American branches are often set in the U.S. as it is a bigger market, meaning even cranes from European manufacturers could end up routed through the U.S. and thus subject to tariffs.
Felbert was not optimistic when it came to the possibility of any affected Europeam companies looking to establish new routes into
After being announced and delayed several times in 2025, many of the tariffs are in effect, with their direct impact on the Canadian crane sector only starting to be felt.
Canada to avoid these tariffs: “I would say no, because Canadians will just pay for it anyway, right?” he said. “If you need it, we’re going to get it.”
Working together
“We’ve been very lucky, because most of the customers we deal with are large utilities,” said John Ludorf, operations manager for B.C.-based CRANeIUM. “All the utilities in Western Canada they understand, and the same with the big mines and whatnot that we work with. We deal primarily with critical cranes, and they understand that it’s nobody’s fault and we’ll do what we can. It doesn’t seem to be affecting the jobs that we do because infrastructure needs to keep going. They can’t stop what they’re doing, they just keep going.”
Ludorf is taking effort to ensure his company’s clients understand they won’t be taken advantage of due to the tariffs, often walking them through their invoices. He speculated that they may have to increase costs if the business’ profitability is affected.
“Unfortunately, we may have to rework margins if that’s the case, but most of our customers are a little less concerned with that than getting the crane back up and running, that’s the main concern,” he said. “We’re fortunate in our business, we don’t have that uncertainty, we’re not dealing with small mom and pop shops where the tariffs would affect them a lot more.”
In May, Ontario-based distributor CanLift announced they were investing $10 million into their company in a partnership with JLG
Industries, which would be used to add more than 70 new units to their fleet including ultra booms, compact and rotating telehandlers, and features such as JLG’s ClearSky Smart Fleet.
While the negotiations for that partnership pre-date the tariffs, CanLift’s promotional materials mention that as the uncertainty slows down planning cycles and causes project delays, this investment shows Canadian companies stepping up to keep the lifts moving.
“In the last couple of years, there’s been supply chain issues and stuff like that post-COVID,” said CanLift managing partner Johnny Dragicevic. “Construction has been soft in general for the last year and a bit, and now we’re waiting for the rebound, especially with these new housing initiatives and others. We’ll have equipment on the ground and already deployed once that switch has been flipped.”
Dragicevic said that, to date, there have not been many direct impacts on CanLift’s business, but he noted an effect on the economy as a whole, and the construction sector in particular. Purchasing construction equipment and materials from the United States used to be a given and a relatively easy process – now, he sees it beset by uncertainty.
“It’s impacting their current projects and tenders that they won prior,” said Dragicevic. “A lot of things haven’t been shelved, but they’ve definitely been delayed until there’s more certainty in the market in general.”
As such, CanLift is keeping an eye on “what is happening on a macro scale,” ensuring they are maintaining good relationships with OEMs.
Those businesses are often multi-billion dollar entities with a staff full of industry analysts, so they can be a good source for information, he said.
“We’re saying, ‘hey, what are you guys hearing?’” said Dragicevic. “No one’s got a crystal ball here, but if you guys are hearing something, maybe keep us in the loop and help us make more educated decisions on future asset purchases and stuff like that.”
Standing up for Canada
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) also weighed in on this topic: in a press release from March, the association described the invocation of tariffs as a short-sighted and irresponsible decision with consequences for both countries.
“The Canadian and American construction industries rely heavily on free-flowing supplies of essential construction materials,” CCA president Rodrigue Gilbert said in the release. “These needless tariffs will decrease productivity, harm economic growth, and put critical projects and countless construction jobs at risk – on both sides of the border.”
The CCA release noted the tariffs will likely increase costs on homebuilding and trade-enabling infrastructure, impact supply chains and trade relationships, and weaken economic development and productivity.
“Once again, this is a time where we need all Canadians to stand up for Canada,” said Gilbert. “This is not the time to sit on our hands – we all have to work together to increase productivity and support Canadian businesses, so that we can all build a stronger Canada and surmount this trade conflict.”
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KNOWING THE ROPES BY JUSTIN BROWN
The underrated backbone of complex lifts: why rigging matters
Behind every lift stands unseen rigging expertise: when you skimp on below-the-hook gear, you skimp on safety.
I’m always in awe when I attend Canadian Crane Rental Association (CCRA) events. The ingenuity and precision behind today’s complex lifts – some involving enormous spans, massive weights, multi-crane coordination, and clearances measured in inches – are nothing short of engineering brilliance.
Yet, amid the celebrations of these achievements, I often notice something missing from the spotlight: the wire rope and rigging gear that quietly makes such feats possible. It’s easy to focus on the cranes and the headline-grabbing figures of weight and height. But behind every successful lift is a rigging system doing the heavy lifting – literally and figuratively.
As someone deeply involved in the crane and rigging industries, I’ve come to see this oversight not as neglect, but as an opportunity: a chance to elevate awareness about the critical role of below-the-hook equipment. Because when rigging is treated as an afterthought – or worse, a cost to be minimized – it can undermine not only performance and efficiency, but safety itself.
Let me be clear: I know the professionals behind these extraordinary lifts are not cutting corners. In fact, I have nothing but admiration for the engineers and rigging specialists whose attention to detail makes this gravity-defying work possible. The complexity involved in selecting the right slings, shackles, lifting beams, and wire rope – then aligning those decisions with the crane’s capabilities and the load’s unique geometry – is something only true professionals can appreciate.
These lifts succeed because rigging is taken seriously. But here’s where the challenge lies: when these projects are publicly recognized without acknowledging the critical rigging work behind them, it sends a quiet message to the rest of the industry.
To those watching from the outside –smaller contractors, procurement managers, or newcomers to the lifting sector – it can appear that rigging is secondary, or that the crane did the heavy lifting, and
High-quality equipment may have a higher initial cost but tends to offer greater reliability and longevity, significantly reducing overall expenses in the long term.
anything below-the-hook is interchangeable or expendable.
That perception is dangerous. Without realizing it, we create a narrative where rigging becomes an afterthought – something to be sourced at the lowest possible cost or selected without deep technical evaluation. While the top-tier players may continue to uphold high standards, the ripple effect across the broader industry can be one of complacency or cost-cutting in the wrong places.
That’s why we need to talk openly: not just about the lifts, but about the gear and expertise that make them safe, repeatable, and efficient. When rigging is taken as seriously as every other piece of the lifting puzzle, the entire industry benefits.
It remains that the rigging industry has relatively low entry barriers, allowing many inexperienced or inadequately equipped manufacturers to enter. This can lead to a crowded marketplace with varying quality standards.
Without oversight, some providers may reduce quality to offer lower prices, posing significant safety and reliability risks. For example, these suppliers may not be aware of proper termination methods for high-performance wire ropes, or may not have invested in the appropriate sleeve, die and swager system to accurately install the end termination, resulting in an unsafe product being put on a tower or mobile crane.
The total cost of ownership concept isn’t a new one, but it does appear to be increasingly overlooked. Acquiring a piece of equipment includes the initial purchase price, but also costs related to maintenance, reliability, downtime, employee training, and safety inspections. High-quality equipment may have a higher initial cost but tends to offer greater reliability and
longevity, significantly reducing overall expenses in the long term.
Procurement teams should implement comprehensive evaluation criteria beyond immediate price, including quality standards, reliability, supplier reputation, innovation, product liability insurance and inspection support. By selecting suppliers based on these rigorous criteria, companies shift their procurement approach from transactional to strategic, enhancing operational performance and reducing total costs.
This mentality also builds strategic supplier relationships that enhance rigging safety and operational efficiency. Forging strong, long-term partnerships with reputable suppliers ensures consistent quality, thorough product testing, and reliable traceability. Quality suppliers also typically offer training and support, ensuring proper use, maintenance, and inspection of equipment, thereby reducing misuse, extending equipment lifespan, and preventing accidents.
Organizations must focus on long-term value rather than initial costs alone. Evaluating rigging equipment based on total cost of ownership, quality, reliability, and strategic supplier relationships will lead to safer, more efficient, and ultimately more profitable crane operations.
Consider skydiving: would you choose a parachute based solely on the lowest price? Imagine boarding the plane for a bucket-list tandem jump with an instructor and hearing him or her boast about the bargain they got on their new chute from an online startup. Just like skydiving equipment, I’d suggest the best source for rigging gear is not Amazon or Temu.
Remember, below-the-hook equipment is critical for safety: selecting inferior rigging based on initial cost can result in significant operational disruptions, injuries, or accidents, quickly negating any upfront savings.
Justin Brown is the president of Unirope Limited, a Canadian company focused on the training, testing, and distribution of wire rope and rigging products. Brown holds active memberships with the AWRF and OIPEEC.
Loaded topics
CCRA Conference panels discussed standards, transportation harmonization. By the Canadian Crane Rental Association
Navigating both changes and challenges in Canada’s crane industry was a topic of great interest to attendees during the CCRA’s 2025 Annual Conference in Edmonton this past June, with the conference featuring panels on shifts in both regulatory changes and regarding progress in harmonizing transportation regulations across Canada.
The conference panel “Raising the Standard: Navigating Regulatory Changes in Canada’s Crane Industry” was moderated by BC Crane Safety’s Jen Mutas and featured Jason Brown (Kova Engineering), Matthew Rogerson (Government of Alberta, OHSPD), Scott Sanders (Manitowoc), and Andy Whitehouse (Cropac Equipment).
In the pipeline
One of the first questions posed to the panel was a requested update on the CSA Z150 (Safety Code on Mobile Cranes) and Z248 (Code for Tower Cranes) standards.
“Both of them are currently scheduled to have a new edition released for 2026,” said Brown, who is active on various standards committees and sub-committees for the association. “We were hoping for 2025 with the Z150, but just there’s a lot of stuff that was being reviewed.”
He added that the new CSA Standard Z248 will go to public review this summer, and that there will be a link posted to the CCRA’s webpage so members can leave comments on the new standard. The CSA Standard Z150 is also expected to be released for public review sometime in late summer this year.
The state of developing standards for rotating telehandlers was of particular interest to many attendees. The CSA recently published
(L-R) BC Crane Safety’s Jen Mutas talked regulations and standards with Andy Whitehouse (Cropac Equipment), Scott Sanders (Manitowoc), Matthew Rogerson (Government of Alberta, OHSPD), and Jason Brown (Kova Engineering).
an in-depth review on the topic titled Overview of Rotating Telehandlers in Canada [Read more about this on pg. 24].
“It’s about a 20-page paper going very in-depth, comparing them to international standards, standards in the United States, and trying to figure out where they slot in,” Brown explained.
Standard advantages
The Government of Alberta’s Matthew Rogerson explained why, as a regulator, standards are positive for everyone involved.
“They provide specific answers to questions. They really eliminate a lot of the grey that you might find in regulatory documentation,” he said. “They address the specific issues that end users are looking for, and they’re super-efficient.”
Rogerson explained that technical committees, such as the CCRA’s, are important for developing new standards due to most provincial governments not having the technical experts in-house to develop these kinds of standards.
“We really do rely on experts, external stakeholders, to be able to answer those complex problems and come up with best practices for any number of different issues,” Rogerson said. “If somebody was to ask us to develop a standard for an articulated telehandler, there’s no way we could possibly do that, so industry would be left swimming.”
Manufacturing and distributing
Manitowoc’s Scott Sanders and Cropac Equipment’s Andy Whitehouse discussed the effects of standards on manufacturers and distributors of equipment.
With Manitowoc regularly active in the development of standards, the company avoids any surprises, Sanders shared.
“In many cases, we’re actually helping to drive some of the changes. If you think about the technological advances, they’re usually pushed into the standards by the manufacturers. We’re the ones kind of putting those things in there, bringing them to the committees to make sure that, from a design perspective, the standard covers them,” he said.
Whitehouse added that when you start to look at the relationship between the European manufacturers and standards, there are no surprises, since they’re typically ahead of the curve of the CSA or OSHA standards.
“Manufacturers are always open to their interpretation or consultation in regard to changes; and you’ll see a number of manufacturers over the last 10 years that have actually adopted less stringent maintenance standards to almost assist and comply with some of the local CSA standards,” he added.
Mutas asked for advice on how end users can ensure manufacturers’ instructions are being correctly followed, with Whitehouse sharing that if users do not understand the verbiage, they should reach out to the engineer of record that will be certifying their crane or involved with any major repairs.
“We do our best to make sure that’s as clear as possible, but you can obviously reach out to the manufacturer through your local dealer if you need clarification,” Sanders added. “And again, at any time, you can consult a local expert also to make sure that they’re in agreement. But the manuals for us and the [load] charts are probably the best place to go.”
(L-R) Claire Bélanger-Parker (CCRA-ACLG), Mike Lavoie (Myshak Crane & Rigging Ltd.), Justin Andrews (Tadano) and Andrew Pillman (Alberta Transportation) took the stage to discuss efforts to harmonize crane transportation nationally and share recent successes on this front.
The language of standards and manuals can sometimes be confusing for end users, with the use of ‘recommended,’ ‘required,’ ‘should,’ and ‘shall’ tending to cause confusion.
“I can understand how that gets really confusing, even when you start to stack them on top of each other, because the regulation may say, ‘You shall maintain your crane in accordance with the owner’s manual,’ and the owner’s manual may have ‘required’ and ‘recommended’ maintenance schedules. What does that mean? Those are the kind of questions we get a lot,” Brown said.
In Alberta, standards are written with the “should” and “shall” language, with “shall” being a must, and a “should” being a may, Rogerson explained.
“For the most part, ‘shoulds’ aren’t really enforceable: those will be your above and beyond requirements that would raise you above achieving the bare minimum legislative compliance requirements,” he said.
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Preparing by preventing Mutas asked the panel for advice on how to streamline internal processes for standards adoption, with Whitehouse sharing that working with manufacturers, distributors, and dealers on standardized inspection forms is key.
“I think that’s probably the key thing,” he said, “to communicate with your other industry partners and try and find some commonalities to share. I’ll call it best practices and efficiencies.”
Brown added that proper mechanical checklists and documentation can prevent chaotic and costly situations from occurring, such as realizing a crane requires a 10-year boom teardown right as it is about to be shipped to a jobsite.
“It shouldn’t be an out-of-the-blue scenario,” he said. “When you have a preventive maintenance program drawn up for this equipment, those are the kinds of key signals that you need to include in there. Those key service requirements where you’re going to need to shut the crane down for a week or two can be pre-planned, so that you have that ability to not have to ruin a client’s day.”
Weights, dimensions, and harmonization
The conference also offered attendees an update on harmonization efforts with the panel discussion “Uniting Forces for Change: Harmonization of Weights & Dimensions,” comprised of Andrew Pillman (Alberta Transportation), Justin Andrews (Tadano), Mike Lavoie (Myshak Crane & Rigging Ltd.), and Claire Bélanger-Parker (CCRA-ACLG). Bélanger-Parker offered some
background information on recent successes in Western Canada by the CCRA’s Boom Dolly Research Committee that led to improved safety for the transportation of mobile cranes.
“There had been a death in 2015 when we met in Montreal. There was a great operator who lost his life, and I remember that Tim Sittler and Dean Schmied took the lead to start talking about safety on the road,” she said. “The ‘S word’ was really a bad word to use in those days – no one in the industry wanted even us to say to a government official that we are concerned about the safety of our people on the road driving mobile cranes.”
Thankfully, much has changed thanks to the efforts from the committee and other key industry members over the next decade, with the most significant being the completion of a three-year pilot project in Alberta focused on increased axle weights on all-terrain cranes during the province’s road ban season.
The CCRA worked alongside the Government of Alberta to successfully increase axle weights from 7,600 kg to 9,500 kg through the road ban season, significantly improving the safety of operators transporting cranes during this time.
“Entering into a pilot program works really well, because we’re able to collect our data, ensure that the Albertans’ needs are being met, ensure that the outcomes of the pilot project will be met from an industry side, and have a tight package for decision makers to look at when you’re looking at putting in permanent policy,” said Pillman. “At the end of the day, this one turned out really well.”
Looking to the West
Another recent success took place in British Columbia, where the overall length limit of cranes being transported increased from 25 metres in overall length including dolly up to 31 metres.
A few key issues needed to be addressed for this to take place, including the maximum axle spacing for mobile cranes.
“The maximum axle spacing was three metres – that was fine maybe 10, 15 years ago, as that’s where the cranes really were sitting with axle spacing. However, that has changed, especially with some of the larger machines coming over,” explained Andrews. “Now, those larger machines do not need a period to seek an exemption from the government. So, that should increase to 4.2 meters.”
Another recent rule change in B.C. was made in relation to the provincial rule of 1,000 kilograms per adjacent axle. After several discussions with government officials, industry members were able to remove the rule across the province.
The CCRA’s Weights & Dimensions Working Committee is working on building relationships to harmonize weights and dimensions in the future wherever possible, including their current position on the National Task Force on Vehicle Weights and Dimensions Policy.
While many across the industry would argue the harmonization of weights and dimensions across Canada would simplify things for crane owners and operators, it is a very complicated task; one that must start regionally before gaining national momentum.
Pillman suggested that the CCRA begin with attempting the harmonization of weights and dimensions within Western Canada before moving eastward.
“Our western provinces are in very good communication with each other. We’re aligned within our objectives, and I think that would be the start to give good context throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan, B.C., and Manitoba,” Pillman said. “But, it is a lot of work to get MOUs to be signed at a decision-maker level, and so, it is a lot of work to sort of break through.”
Regulation rotations
New standards recommended for rotating telehandlers.
By Andrew Snook,
on behalf of the Canadian Crane Rental Association
Rotating telehandlers are unique within the construction world: while most heavy equipment has a defined purpose on a jobsite, rotating telehandlers act almost like a Swiss Army Knife, being used for a wide variety of applications replacing the use of forklifts, personnel lifts, loaders, and often, cranes.
It’s their replacement of cranes on jobsites that is of major concern to many in the heavy lifting industry, as these machines do not fall under a set of standards similar to what cranes are required to meet.
To help solve this issue, VIM Technical Services Ltd.’s Dennis Domenichini has authored the Overview of Rotating Telehand-
lers in Canada publication for the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), which offers three different recommendations for rotating telehandler standards.
Domenichini’s research was completed with the assistance of a project advisory panel consisting of André Chénier (international representative, Canadian Region, International Union of Operating Engineers); Benjamin Lowe (WorkSafeBC); Elizabeth Huckson (J.J. McGuire General Contractors); Guy Taillon (Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development); Rocio Morales Rayas (CSA Group); and Andrea Holbeche (CSA Group project manager).
Option one
The first option was expanding the scope of CSA B335-15, which addresses forklifts. This option doesn’t make sense to Chénier.
“That standard does not cover crane issues,” Chénier said. “When these rotating telehandlers have a winch and a suspended load, a great deal of other factors come in play.”
In addition to CSA B335-15 not covering any operational requirements related to suspended loads, the standard also does not cover manufacturer design specifications.
“The standards aren’t the same. These manufacturers don’t build these rotating telehandlers to the same specs as mobile cranes,” Chénier said. “To expand B335-15 to incorporate rotating telehandlers into that standard would be almost mission impossible.”
A third-generation crane operator, Chénier is baffled by the fact that rotating telehandlers are not required to adhere to the same standards as mobile cranes.
“I travel all over Canada and I see these pieces of equipment hoisting loads, suspended loads, with no qualifications needed to operate this piece of machinery, no licensing whatsoever. In most cases, regulators usually just require proof of training, which may consist of a very brief crash course facilitated by the manufacturer, or dealer renting the equipment – these are
cranes. Once you have a suspended load by a hook, a hoist line and winch attachment, and it rotates 360 degrees, can boom up and down, extend, retract – it’s a crane,” he said.
Option two
The second option presented was to incorporate rotating telehandlers into the CSA Z150, but the technical advisory committee found this option problematic.
“Rotating telehandlers do not align well with standards that many manufacturers are using to design these pieces of equipment, that’s the root of the problem,” Chénier said. “We want to add these telehandlers into the Z150, but right out of the gate at the manufacturing plant, they’re not designed the same way. They’re not designed to the same standards.”
Manufacturers’ stability requirements for rotating telehandlers are different from the Z150 standard for mobile cranes, which complicates incorporating it into the existing standard.
“Another problem is that telehandlers can be used for earth moving. They can have bucket attachments when they’re on a jobsite moving dirt. You can’t do that with a mobile crane, so it would be tricky to incorporate that into the Z150,” Chénier explained.
Option three
To Chénier, the third option presented by the advisory committee makes the most sense: developing an entirely new standard.
“The only way to go is to develop a new standard for rotating telehandlers,” he said.
The creation of a single standard addressing all design and operational considerations would require the creation of a large standard, which would be a big project to undertake.
For this reason, the advisory committee recommended that standards for rotating telehandler design be separated from any standards that address operational requirements.
“Operational requirements would not be any different than a mobile crane when you’re dealing with suspended loads, centre of gravity, the environmental factors, ground condition, wind, or dynamic loads – that’s all stuff that’s currently covered by the Z150 when it comes to operational requirements,” Chénier said.
For Chénier, additional issues stem from telehandler manufacturing and design, with their distinct differences from cranes creating a degree of degree of nuance to developing a proper, all-encompassing standard for these machines.
“The design factor is the problem,” he said, caused by regional differences between Canada and where they are manufactured.
“Most are designed in Europe, and are not designed to the same specs as a crane. It’s not black and white, it’s complex.”
To download the “Overview of Rotating Telehandlers in Canada” publication, visit: https://www.csagroup.org/article/research/ overview-of-rotating-telehandlers-in-canada.
PHOTO:
BY ALBERT WANG
Cranes in the city
Elevating safety in dense urban environments.
As Canada’s cities grow upward and outward, cranes have become mainstays across the country’s compressed urban construction zones. Whether they’re lifting precast panels over busy bus lanes or rigging steel near schoolyards, crane operations in built-up areas face heightened safety demands.
In Vancouver and other rapidly developing regions, this complexity is intensified by overhead power lines, narrow streets, trolley lines, and public infrastructure such as the SkyTrain.
Urban construction isn’t just about managing tight spaces, it’s about protecting workers, pedestrians, and neighbours while maintaining compliance across the board. With limited space, busy transit corridors, and high population density, crane and heavy lifting projects demand strict safety protocols and proactive communication, not just with site crews, but also with neighbours and public instutions.
Busy streets and sidewalks: protecting the public
Lifting over or beside public roads, sidewalks, or transit corridors can place pedestrians, drivers, cyclists and transit users at risk if not properly managed. Coordination with municipal authorities is essential to plan road closures, detours, and scheduling to minimize disruption and ensure public safety. In most cases, detailed traffic control plans must be submitted and approved before any lifting operations begin.
When working adjacent to or over sidewalks and streets, contractors must provide physical protection such as fencing, covered walkways, or hoarding to prevent pedestrian exposure to falling objects or unintended crane movement. Public safety in these areas is not just a regulatory requirement – it is a responsibility that must be actively upheld throughout the project.
The persistent risk of power lines
Proximity to high-voltage power lines is one of the most persistent hazards for crane operators in urban areas. Mobile and tower cranes often operate in tight perim-
eters where power lines pass above streets, alleys, or adjacent buildings. Contact with the lines’ energized conductors can result in electrocution, arc flashes, or fires, posing risks to both workers and pedestrians, along with nearby properties.
WorkSafeBC Regulation requires employers to maintain specific “limits of approach” to power lines depending on voltage. If operations must occur within these zones, an “Assurance in Writing” (commonly known as a 30M33) form must be submitted outlining risk assessments and control measures. This can include insulating or relocating lines, installing physical barriers or “hooding,” and/or assigning a trained safety spotter to monitor operations in real-time.
Additionally, crane owners in B.C. must integrate anti-collision systems and zone-limiting technology into tower cranes. These solutions are used to create electronic buffer zones around power lines and restricted areas, and also help prevent boom swings or load movement into prohibited zones.
Transit system coordination
Working near public transit infrastructure adds another layer of complexity to operating cranes in dense urban settings. Across Canada, transit authorities enforce strict safety protocols for any construction activities occurring near guideways, stations, or overhead lines.
Many transit authorities have established safety protocols that define required setbacks, operating restrictions and communication procedures when working around public transit infrastructure.
For example, in British Columbia, TransLink has established its own “limits of approach” framework for work near its SkyTrain system and trolley lines. Closing operations near those transit networks requires coordination and approval from TransLink that will ensure transit operations and their infrastructure are not compromised. This coordination helps prevent service disruptions and upholds public safety where construction and transportation intersect.
Managing swing radius and property overlap
Pre-lift coordination with surrounding businesses, residents, and municipal departments is an essential best practice. Contractors should provide advance notice when major lifts, road closures, or overswing operations are planned. Clear signage warning of crane activity and restricted areas should be posted in visible locations.
Transparency around inspections and maintenance should be practiced to foster public understanding and alleviate fear. BC Crane Safety recommends providing written safety notifications to neighbours. These notices can include:
• Weathervane explanation
• Non-destructive testing (NDT) certification
• Daily inspections and checklists completed by the operator to confirm mechanical and safety systems
• Preventive maintenance
• WorkSafeBC review and oversight
Maintaining a sufficient degree of transparency both reassures local residents and demonstrates accountability when it comes to a company and project’s overall commitment to safety.
As construction density continues to increase in urban cores, so does the responsibility to protect both workers and the public. Environmental issues such as power line proximity, transit systems, restricted airspace, and local residents all converge into a unique risk profile for cranes in cities.
The list of best practices for urban crane work, including zoning and anti-collision systems, weathervaning, and public transit compliance protocols, are not optional for companies carrying out these projects. Rather, these practices must be approached as essential components of a comprehensive crane safety strategy.
Urban development may be vertical, but safety must remain grounded in standards, training, and public trust.
Albert Wang is a quality control policy engineer (HS&E) with BC Crane Safety
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