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Nova Scotia’s transportation minister says the cost of removing a construction crane that toppled in downtown Halifax during post-tropical storm Dorian is at least $2-million.

Lloyd Hines says the province is examining invoices from an engineering firm and the crane company in an attempt to confirm the final number, and once it does it will look to recover the money after it determines who is responsible for the bill.

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Provincial taxpayers are currently on the hook because the province declared a localized state of emergency in the area around the crane in order to speed up its removal.

That step shifted the liability for the crane’s removal to the province.

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The crane collapsed on Sept. 7 amid powerful gusts from Dorian as it roared into the city.

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Hines stopped short of saying the province will sue to recover the money but said legal action is possible.