Coastal defense┬áThe aging Shearwater helicopter base at Halifax, Nova Scotia is getting a new lease on life with a fast-track design-build contract awarded to Bird Construction. John OÔÇÖHanlon gets the story from project manager Bill Zister. Bird Construction, established over 80 years ago, serves most market sectors, but having established a niche in military construction projects during the Second World War, it retains a special foothold and expertise in projects for the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND).