From the Toronto Star:
A daredevil’s plan to be the first person in a century to walk a tightrope across Niagara Falls may take a tumble even though it’s just gotten off the ground.
Nik Wallenda, a seventh-generation member of the Flying Wallendas, a family of tightrope performers, is hoping to fulfill a lifelong dream of walking over the gaping maw of the falls on a high wire.
He’s got the support of the mayor of Niagara Falls, Ont., who’s thrilled at the chance to boost sagging tourism numbers with the high-profile act. A bill to allow Wallenda to tightrope across the falls passed through New York’s Senate without a hitch and awaits Governor Andrew Cuomo’s signature. And city council in Niagara Falls, N.Y., voted last week to support Wallenda’s bid.
The final holdout, however, is on the Canadian side at the Niagara Parks Commission. Its fears the act is a one-time stunt that would return Niagara Falls to its days of flash and showmanship, rather than highlight the falls’ natural beauty. The commission was founded in 1885 specifically to put an end to the falls’ carnival atmosphere.
Commission interim chair Janice Thomson said it hasn’t received Wallenda’s request yet, but she can’t imagine the commission approving the act.