Fairview Cove turns 40

 The Fairview Cove container terminal in Bedford Basin welcomed its first ship on November 10, 1981. It was the second container terminal in Halifax harbour and brought a level of competition for shipping business between the two. The first terminal, the South End terminal, which was then operated by and known as Halterm, opened for business officially in 1971. (It is now operated by PSA Halifax).

 The Fairview Cove terminal was so new in November 1981 that it still did not have container cranes, but relied on mobile construction type cranes. Cerescorp, a Chicago based stevedoring company, were appointed as operators, but their contract did not begin officially until January 1, 1982.  It was a twenty year deal which was renewed November 12, 2002 for another twenty years, effective January 1, 2003.

 The navy tug Glenbrook and the crane barge YD 253 carrying a construction crane approach the RoRo ramp at the west end of the new terminal, November 7, 1981.

The first commercial ship to berth at the facility was the Tadeusz Kosciuszko a nearly new container / roro ship. It made its maiden voyage call in Halifax June 12, 1981, at Halterm. The impressive ship with engines amidship, full width bridge and large RoRo ramp, had much sleeker lines than its ACL competitors.

It was joined over the following months by three sister ships. All were built in France for the French-Polish Shipping Company, and were operated by the Polish Ocean Line.

In December 1981 components for the shore cranes began to arrive from Montreal. 

The small cargo ship J.A.Z.Desgagnés (ex Vison Consol) brought the crane components from Quebec.

Over the years there have been many improvements and equipment replacememts, but as of November 2021 there are 70 acres within the fences. The dock face is 2,297 ft long and there is 11,000 ft of rail line. There are 498 reefer plugs, and four cranes, including three super post panamax (however the fourth crane is obsolete). The annual throughput capacity is rated at 650,000 TEU.

Fill is constantly being placed for a major extension to the pier face and back up land. A new truck entrance and realignment of the approach roads is in the works as part of a multi-year Windsor Street Exchange Redevelopment. New truck access roads to and from the A.Murray MacKay bridge, as well as improved bus and commmuter routes will be part of that project.

 See the Halifax Regional Municipality's planning process for the area:

Windsor Street Exchange 

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