B.C.'s thrilling new tourism experience you won't want to miss. Need a dose of kindness? Camaraderie? All while bathed in the beauty of nature on Vancouver Island? The Overhang at the Malahat Skywalk is not just a walk in the park.
Something happens as people line up at the Malahat Skywalk's new glass cube suspended dozens of metres above a Vancouver Island forest floor.
As everyone at this new attraction nervously awaits their turn to walk into the roughly two-metre square, five-sided glass cube, comments range from: "I hope I don't vomit," to "just don't look down," even though the cube is engineered to support the weight of 2.5 elephants. For comparison, or reassurance from facts, the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish can hold 20 elephants.
And then the community builds. We are all joined by an urge to help one another. Travel blogger Jami Savage steps up to shepherd a fearful and reluctant mother as she holds the woman's hand and coaxes her onto the glass floor to join her family for a photo. Toddler Vera de Lannoy needs hand-holding as her father, Charles-Francois de Lannoy urges the youngster to step closer to him as she tentatively eyes the forest below while onlookers cheer. Mission accomplished.
One by one, those waiting in line hold someone else's bag or jacket, utter words of encouragement, or clear the way for the perfect photo — all the while smiling and high-fiving those who triumphantly finish their poses, which comically range from lying down or jumping in the air, to meditating. Everyone is beaming.
Walking into a glass structure to look at the forest beneath your feet way, way down plays tricks with your brain, which doesn't properly register that you're safe until you control your breathing and steel yourself. Almost everyone feels anxious and afraid to look down. But they all do it. And the reward beyond conquering your fearful brain is a stunning 360-degree view.
It's called The Overhang, an engineering wonder of layers of bonded specialty glass walls, floor and ceiling suspended from the side of the Malahat Skywalk — itself a gorgeous circular wood and steel walkway that gradually climbs 10 storeys for a view of the Saanich Inlet that separates the Victoria and Saanich peninsula from Vancouver Island and is a 35-minute drive from Victoria. The Skywalk opened in 2021.
The Overhang is Canada's first glass cube and the only one in the world attached to a tower. There is another that is similar, the Aiguille du Midi Skywalk, about 20 minutes from Chamonix, France, also known as Step into the Void.
The Overhang rivals Europe's finest, judging by its visitors. "We get a lot of Europeans — German and Dutch," says Malahat Skywalk general manager Nathan Bird. "And we also get a lot of people from Alberta and Ontario." Residents of Vancouver Island frequently visit, with one pass holder who comes every day for exercise because the slight incline of the walkway affords a gentle stroll through the forest. "You can bring your mom in a wheelchair," says Bird. "It's accessible to all — not everyone can hike a mountain."
