Despite being a bit of a daredevil, I had to overcome a wave of fear when I was invited to the unveiling of the Malahat SkyWalk’s newest attraction, The Overhang. Still, I couldn’t help but leap at the chance to take in some spectacular B.C. scenery from a unique glass terrace.
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As soon as I walk into the glass cube suspended 250 metres above sea level over the steep cliffs of the Saanich Inlet, I feel a thrill at the grand, open-air gallery of nature’s artistry on full display. Mount Baker rises in the distance, with the Gulf Islands and Washington State’s San Juan Islands spread out below.
According to Nathan Bird, general manager of Malahat SkyWalk, I’m not the only guest to be a little hesitant at first.
“We hear it all the time. Our guests arrive saying, ‘I don’t know if I can do this,’ and then two minutes later they’re standing in the Overhang grinning, taking photos and telling everyone else they have to try it,” says Bird. “It’s definitely built for a thrill. People leave saying they can’t believe that they almost didn’t do it.”
The Overhang, which opened in May, is the Malahat SkyWalk’s biggest innovation since opening in 2021. It’s also a milestone year for the Vancouver Island attraction, which is expecting to welcome its one millionth guest.
The idea for the Overhang came from SkyWalk director Dave Brownlie, who was inspired by the glass cube over the Chamonix SkyWalk in the French Alps—and by the 80-minute lineups of tourists who had been drawn to the attraction.
The cube features a steel support frame and multiple layers of structural glass on the sides, floor and ceiling. The Overhang is fully accessible to all SkyWalk visitors, holding up to six guests at a time.
“It’s been a labour of love for the past two and a half years because of the amount of engineering and logistics that have gone into putting a unique structure on the side of another unique structure in a seismic zone using the highest standards in the world,” adds Bird.
All too soon, it’s time to head home, with a promise to myself to come back to revisit the adventure.
