toronto skyline

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CN Tower, Downtown Toronto

The CN Tower is a 553.33 m-high (1,815.4 ft) concrete communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Upon the completion of the CN Tower in 1976 it became the tallest frre-standing building in the world. The Burj Khalifa or Khalifa Tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates would surpass the CN Tower as the tallest structure in the world at a height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft).

The idea for the tower began in the late 1960's when the Canadian National Railway wanted a large TV and radio communication platform to serve the Toronto area. In the 1960's and 1970's Toronto saw a huge building boom with larger and larger buildings springing up along the lakeshore. The reflective nature of the new buildings compromised the quality of broadcast signals necessitating new, higher antennas that were at least 300 m (980 ft) tall.

In June 2007, the tower was outfitted with 1,330 super bright LED lights inside the elevator shafts, projecting up over the main pod and upward to the top of the tower's mast to illuminate the tower from dusk until 2 a.m. The tower changes its lighting scheme on holidays and to commemorate major events. During the spring and autumn bird migration seasons, the lights will be turned off to comply with the voluntary Fatal Light Awareness Program, which encourages buildings to dim unnecessary exterior lighting to mitigate bird mortality during spring and summer migration.

The CN Tower stands like a sentinel over the Toronto skyline attracting millions of visitors every year. From the mid 1970's to the mid 1980's, the CN Tower was practically the only development along Front Street West. As the area around the tower developed, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in 1984 and the SkyDome in 1989 (renamed Rogers Centre in 2005), the former Railway Lands were redeveloped and by the early 1990's the tower became the focal point of a thriving new tourist district.


Places to Explore

CN Tower
Distillery District
Kensington Market
St. Lawrence Market
The Beaches

Ontario Towns and Cities

Toronto, Ontario


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