It's Toronto - May/June 2017

CN TOWER
Why the
CN Tower
is Toronto’s
Must-See
Attraction
By Candice G. Ball
Not only is the CN Tower one of
Canada’s most iconic landmarks,
it is also an excellent starting point
to experience Toronto. Standing 553.33 metres
(1,815 feet, 5 inches) tall, the CN Tower offers
a breathtaking, panoramic view of Toronto.
“It’s a wonderful way for visitors, especially
those visiting Toronto for the first time, to get
an overview of the city,” said Lisa Tompkins,
director of sales, marketing and communications
at the CN Tower. “We often say to people,
‘Why not start your visit at CN Tower?’ You
have a great overview of the city beneath you
and you can plan your visit from that point.”
Each year, more than 1.8 million people visit
the architectural wonder, but it was originally
constructed to be more than a tourist attraction.
Built by Canadian National Railways in
1976, the CN Tower served as a telecommunications
hub and still transmits signals. Today,
all major broadcast AM and FM radio stations
and wireless service providers use the CN
Tower for transmission.
Construction on the $63-million tower began
on Feb. 6, 1973. More than 1,537 workers
laboured around the clock, five days a week
to build the CN Tower, completing the tower
on Feb. 22, 1974, and the antenna on April 2,
1975. The Tower officially opened to the public
on Oct. 1, 1976.
On the Tower’s 40th birthday, it celebrated
an illustrious history, including holding the
Guinness World Record as world’s tallest tower
for more than three decades. The Burj Khalifa,
in Dubai, usurped the Tower’s title in 2010.
But the CN Tower still has bragging rights
with two other Guinness World Records for
EdgeWalk, the world’s highest exterior walk
on a building, and for the World’s Highest
Wine Cellar.
ONE TOWER, MANY VIEWS
There are many ways to experience the CN
Tower. If you choose a General Admission
ticket, you will enjoy access to stunning views
from two different observation levels.
You will be able to take in Toronto from
the LookOut level at 346 metres (1,136 feet)
MAY/JUNE 2017 • 15