There are people on both sides of the Nik Wallenda fence, but everyone now seems to agree that it’s an international walk or no walk at all.

Wallenda, the American aerialist who has proposed walking across the Niagara Gorge on a tightrope, is now waiting for a second meeting with the Niagara Parks Commission in hopes of getting the commission to reverse its earlier decision not to allow the walk.

After meeting with Ontario Tourism Minister Michael Chan Friday, Wallenda said he was encouraged to hear the minister’s interest in the proposal, which would see Wallenda walk across the Horseshoe falls this spring or summer.

Wallenda was denied permission by the NPC last month, and was hoping Chan would overrule that decision. While the minister didn’t reverse the NPC’s call, he did suggest a second meeting between the aerialist and the commission.

Chairwoman Janice Thomson said Monday she would sit down with Wallenda for a longer meeting than the formal 10-minute forum he was given on Nov. 16.

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From the Niagara Falls Review:

It’s America to Canada — or bust — for Nik Wallenda, according to New York State Parks.

In a statement sent to The Niagara Falls Review Friday evening, New York State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey said she has reached out to the tightrope walker to inform him the agency can’t support a high-wire act limited to the American Falls.

Wallenda has not been able to secure approval for an international crossing from Canadian authorities.

“A walk limited to the American Falls is not what New York approved or envisioned in legislation authorizing Nik Wallenda to traverse the Niagara River Gorge from the United States to Canada,” Harvey said in the statement.

“The costs to New York State of managing a walk only across the American Falls would exceed $1 million in direct state expenses, while, because of the physical topography of Niagara Falls and crowd-safety concerns, the number of people who could watch such a walk would be extremely limited.

“As a result, despite the costs to New York State, the vast majority of people on the U.S. side would be turned away from the park and never see the walk.”

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• Niagara This Week – Chan makes no promises to Wallenda
• Canadian Press (via CBC News) – Wallenda still hopeful to tightrope walk over Niagara Falls

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The Niagara Parks Commission slammed the door on Nik Wallenda Wednesday, but a day later Minister of Tourism Michael Chan opened it up just a bit.

Speaking with the Niagara Falls Review Thursday, the Ontario tourism minister invited Wallenda, a seventh-generation aerialist who wants to walk across the Niagara Gorge on a tightrope, to come and speak with him.

“My door is always open. I welcome the opportunity to meet Mr. Wallenda,” said Chan, who confirmed he had nothing to do with the NPC’s decision to reject Wallenda’s proposal. “This particular project is under the watch of many, many people. It has huge interest around the world.”

Asked if he would stand behind the NPC’s ruling, Chan seemed to leave the door open, saying there are big issues at play.

“One of the major factors is economics. These are uncertain economic times. Jobs are important, the economy is important. That’s why, my door is open to listen to people,” he said.

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The door to Tourism and Culture Minister Michael Chan’s office is always open and the minister will look at ways of increasing tourism in Niagara Falls, Kim Craitor said Thursday.

Craitor, who represents Niagara Falls at Queen’s Park and who is also the parliamentary assistant to Chan, made the remarks in a telephone interview with former provincial Progressive Conservative party leader John Tory on Newstalk 1010’s The Live Drive program, Craitor.

“The answer is the door is always open,” Craitor told Tory when asked if the minister would consider looking into getting the Niagara Parks Commission to change its decision to not allow a walk across the Niagara Gorge in front of the Horseshoe Falls by Nik Wallenda.

“The minister will listen to ideas from anyone, including Mr. Wallenda, Craitor said.

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After almost five months in the interim position, Janice Thomson has been appointed the chair of the Niagara Parks Commission’s Board of Directors.

While the announcement was made by Tourism and Culture Minister Michael Chan on Wednesday, the appointment was actually effective Nov. 16. Thomson, executive director of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce & Visitor and Convention Bureau, also has experience as a sales and marketing consultant and a former owner and operator of a restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The Niagara Falls Review also had an article called Janice Thomson named permanent chair of NPC

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A pending deal between the City of Niagara Falls and the Niagara Parks Commission to create a new people-mover bus system to service the millions of visitors to the Honeymoon Capital each year was no shotgun wedding.

While Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor acknowledges he and Ontario Tourism Minister Michael Chan were asked to help resolve an impasse in negotiations between the parties in recent weeks, the minister did not force a deal on the provincial agency, whose chairwoman Fay Booker continues to raise concerns about the impact the new system could have on Niagara Parks’ revenue stream.

“No – I don’t think that’s true,” said Craitor, when asked if the ministry put pressure on Booker and the commission to get the deal done.

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The public has “high expectations” of the Niagara Parks Commission and its employees want to live up to them, Ontario Minister Tourism Michael Chan said in a visit to Niagara Falls Friday intended to rally the employees of the beleaguered government agency.

“They want to do their job. They want to do it right. They want to do it good,” Chan said in an interview after a reception with more than 200 employees of the government agency responsible for the public land along the Niagara River.

The Liberal cabinet minister said it’s his “style” to meet the people who work for the agency that fall under his watch.

He hinted Friday at the “many challenges” the agency has faced.

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Ontario’s Tourism Minister appears ready to accept decisions by Niagara Falls and Fort Erie to reappoint their same representatives to the Niagara Parks Commission, despite his request for fresh faces.

“Ultimately, the nomination of representatives is a decision that rests with the individual municipality,” Liberal Tourism Minister Michael Chan said through a spokesman Tuesday.

His office was reacting to news Niagara Falls had re-appointed Coun. Vince Kerrio as the city’s representative on the government agency and Fort Erie had named Mayor Doug Martin.

His fellow councillors want Kerrio — and other municipal politicians who serve as parks commissioners — to have the freedom to talk more openly about what goes on at the government agency. All commissioners must take an oath of confidentiality that prevents municipal councillors from updating their council on some issues.

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The Ontario government doesn’t want the same municipal politicians — including Fort Erie Mayor Doug Martin and Niagara Falls Coun. Vince Kerrio — reappointed to the Niagara Parks Commission board.

The Niagara Falls Review learned through sources the Ministry of Tourism is looking to follow up its purge of four provincially appointed commissioners by asking Niagara Region, Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake to appoint different members to the board than during the last term of council.

A spokesman for Ontario Tourism Minister Michael Chan confirmed the province doesn’t want familiar faces returning after the four municipalities swear in their councillors this month.

“We are encouraging the municipalities to put forward new names for these appointments,” Mukunthan Paramalingham, the tourism minister’s senior communications adviser, said in an email response to questions posed by The Review. “Our goal is to establish a strong board with members who will bring forth new ideas and qualifications to move the commission forward.”

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