Wallenda gets green light for Falls walk

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) - He defies death on the high-wire and aerial artist Nik Wallenda has defied the odds yet again! The Ontario Parks Commission finally okayed a tightrope walk across the mighty Niagara.

Wallenda won approval to walk a tightrope over the Horse Shoe Falls, from the United States to Canada, on Wednesday.

He said, "To get that green light, I feel like I'm on top of the world. It's a dream and I hope it's inspirational to everyone out there. It's been passed down for seven generations in our family that you pursue your dreams and don't ever give up."

He says the walk will take about 30 to 45 minutes. The 1,800 foot cable that will stretch from the American to the Canadian side. Wallenda says the weather will determine which side of the border he starts on.

Wallenda explained, "It'll be very busy from here on out. There's a lot of planning, a lot of details that have to be worked out. We've done enough preliminary as we can but, without the okay, there's only so much we can do."

Until Wednesday, the Niagara Parks Commission in Canada stood in his way. Commissioners denied Wallenda's request to walk, saying they wanted to preserve the beauty of the falls. They also had concerns over safety and high cost.

Wallenda reportedly addressed each of those concerns, leading to a change of heart from interim chairwoman Janice Thomson.

"The purpose, the public purpose for actually doing it is to pay tribute to the rich history, the long ago history of tightrope walking and dare devils at Niagara Falls," argued Wallenda.

But this will be a once in a generation event, something we won't see for another 20 years, if ever again.

Thomson said, "We've made it very clear that this is not a regular activity and it's not something that we're going to be looking for further applications for. This is a very unique one-off, and in the next generation, that commission at that time can contemplate whether they wish to do it as well."

But for the time being, all eyes will be on Wallenda and the potential danger he faces.

"I've done walks longer and higher, so it's not anything outrageous other than it's Niagara Falls. It'll be seen around the world. There's no question the entire world will see this walk," smiled Wallenda.

Wallenda says he'll be walking without a tether. But in the event something goes wrong, he has a clip on a belt around his waist and will immediately hang on the wire. He'll be training with wind machines and water to experience the worst.

A formal date for the tightrope walk has not yet been set.