Rock scaling along the Niagara Gorge

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Niagara Falls is undergoing spring maintenance. The Niagara Parks commission is carrying out its annual rock scaling work along the Niagara gorge on the Canadian side of the Horseshoe falls.

Every year a 150 foot crane lowers workers in a cage into the Horseshoe falls. Wearing protective gear and armed with metal poles, rakes and brooms workers remove loose rocks and debris built up during the winter months. Rocks like shale and limestone are chiseled out and allowed to fall into the gorge.

The work is done directly above the “Journey Behind the Falls” viewing platform, which is closed off during the scaling work. The observation deck was first built in 1951 and sits about 45 metres below the falls and gives tourists an up close and personal look at one of the seven wonders of the world.

Water is trapped in the crevasses of the rocks and freezes during the winter months. When the weather heats up the ice begins to thaw separating the rock from the gorge.

The Niagara Parks on average scales about 10 to 15 tons of rocks. Although we had a much more milder winter than in previous years, they expect to scale about the same amount if not more.