The Great Wall of Cape Breton

The quiet town of Irish Cove in Cape Breton Island created a commotion over the past few weeks with a giant wall of ice.

Spotted from the road, the natural phenomenon is located on a beach off of the Bras D’or Lake that visitors can walk down to. The chunks of ice pile up to 10 meters high and span two kilometers across the shoreline.

“I’ve lived on this island my whole life and have never seen anything like it,” said Carl Derow. “It’s magnificent,” said Lesley Derow. The couple traveled all the way from North Sydney to see the once in a lifetime spectacle.

The ice wall appeared over time while Cape Breton was experiencing storms with heavy gusts of wind. The wind caused the ice to pile on top of each other creating an attraction.

Now that the stormy weather is over, photographers, thrill seekers, and families with kids are going to Irish Cove to check out the ice wall. Most of those who set out to visit the ice wall braved climbing the massive chunks of ice that sat just above the water.

Many of the visitors seemed unfazed by the dangers that come with climbing on ice that is sitting on top of a frozen lake. However, no official warnings have been posted about the ice wall.

The Hanson Family saw it as an opportunity to take the kids out. “We had to see what everyone was talking about,” said Tracey Hanson.

Others even climbed over the ice to take photos on the other side.

Most visitors saw it as a chance to take photos in front of the never before seen mountain of ice.

Some people even took the slippery wall as a challenge to see whether or not they could make it to the top without falling. Those who did make it to the top stood proudly for photos.