I mentioned this to Chris just the other day. I assumed that Mr. Cochrane would have to have som pretty substantial insurance, and I wondered what it would cost to be insured. This article doesn’t state the cost of it, but the City had to get insurance valued at $5 million.
From the Friday, June 10, 2005 Niagara Falls Review:
Cochrane wirewalks with $5M safety net
By JOHN LAW
Local News – Friday, June 10, 2005 @ 02:00NIAGARA FALLS – When Jay Cochrane takes his first tentative steps on a tightrope high above the city Tuesday, he’ll have a $5-million insurance policy behind him.
The policy, confirmed by the city’s Chief Administrative Officer John MacDonald, is necessary because of the public nature of Cochrane’s walks. Both of his walks are over public streets, unlike his last visit in 2002.
Cochrane, 61, will make daily walks across a 650-foot rope connecting the Hilton Hotel to the Niagara Fallsview Casino, directly above Fallsview Boulevard.
Every Saturday starting July 1, he’ll also do a 1,800-foot walk from the casino to the Skylon Tower, with a large portion above Murray Street.
Both walks are much higher and more dangerous than his 2002 walks, when he did a daily jaunt from Casino Niagara to Planet Hollywood, and a weekend stroll from the Sheraton on the Falls hotel to the casino tower.
Starting Tuesday, Falls- view Boulevard will be closed during the portion of Cochrane’s walk when he is directly above the street, 400 feet in the air.
The closure should only take five minutes, said MacDonald. He doesn’t believe motorists will be annoyed.
“It’s a value-added thing,” he said. “For those people that are there, whether they’re in their cars or standing there, it’s a bonus for them. They’ll get to view this really unique event.
“While it is a busy time, it’s busy because of tourists and that’s what they’re looking for. We see it as a real positive.”
The closures on Murray street will be longer – between 20 and 30 minutes – because Cochrane will be above the street longer. At the peak of that walk, he’ll be 600 feet in the air.
Niagara Parks Police and Niagara Regional Police will control traffic for each event.
Depending on the weather, Cochrane makes his first walk Tuesday at noon.
MacDonald said the Niagara Fallsview Casino isn’t concerned about daily street closures at the height of summer.
“Fallsview Casino doesn’t want to do anything to tick off the customers,” he said. “They obviously believe this will be viewed as a real positive thing.”