A Canadian Icon Standing Tall - The CN Tower

Photo by Sidra S on Unsplash

If there’s one thing you can’t miss when you’re in Toronto, it’s the CN Tower.

You can spot it from just about anywhere — standing tall, calm, and effortlessly cool over the city, like it's been there forever, keeping an eye on things.

Built back in the 1970s, the CN Tower wasn’t actually meant to be a tourist attraction.
It was designed to fix a pretty practical problem — communication signals bouncing all over Toronto’s growing skyline. Engineers needed a way to send stronger signals over all those new skyscrapers, so they decided: why not build something way taller than everything else?

Simple enough idea. But what they ended up creating was so much more.

By the time it was finished in 1976, the CN Tower wasn’t just solving communication problems — it was the tallest free-standing structure on Earth. It held that title proudly for over 30 years. Even now, at 553 meters (about 1,815 feet), it still ranks among the tallest and most recognizable towers anywhere in the world.

Standing at the bottom and looking up is almost dizzying. There’s something about seeing it stretch so high into the sky that makes you feel small - in the best possible way. It's a reminder that humans are capable of building incredible things when they dream big enough.

Go inside, and the experience gets even better. The elevators shoot you up to the observation levels in under a minute, with glass walls giving you a front-row seat to the city falling away beneath you. On the observation level you can enjoy a 360 degree view of the city and lake below. 

While on the lower observation level  you can try your nerves on the famous Glass Floor - a clear panel you can walk across, with nothing but air between you and the ground over 1,100 feet below - or  try out the Overview, where you step to the edge and lean forward over the windows to enjoy the amazing view of the city below.

And if you’re really feeling adventurous? The CN Tower offers the EdgeWalk — the world’s highest full circle, hands-free walk. You get suited up, clipped into a harness, and taken outside — where you literally lean out over the edge of the tower, with the whole city stretched out below you. It’s thrilling, a little terrifying, and absolutely unforgettable. Definitely a story you’ll be telling for years, if you're brave enough to do it. Look closely at the photo below and you'll see some brave souls hanging over the side of the tower.

Photo by Erin Minuskin on Unsplash

Of course, not everyone needs that kind of adrenaline rush.
For a more relaxed experience, there’s the 360 Restaurant — a beautiful, slowly revolving dining room that completes a full turn every 72 minutes. As you eat, you’re treated to sweeping views of Toronto, Lake Ontario, and if the skies are clear enough, even the misty outline of Niagara Falls far off in the distance.

One of the best times to visit the CN Tower is right around sunset.
As the sun dips behind the city, the sky changes from soft blues to deep golds and fiery oranges. The buildings below start to twinkle with lights, and for a few magical minutes, it feels like you’re floating above it all.

Photo by Ashwini Chaudhary(Monty) on Unsplash

And  once night falls, the tower itself becomes part of the show.
The CN Tower lights up in different colors depending on the day — celebrating national holidays, sports victories, causes like Pride, or sometimes just because. It’s a beautiful thing, seeing this massive structure so full of life and meaning, quietly marking the moment with a splash of color in the night sky.

More than anything, the CN Tower feels like a symbol.
Not just of Toronto — but of Canada as a whole.
It stands for big ideas. For quiet strength. For reaching higher, even when you don't have to.

It’s a place where people propose, where families make memories, where visitors from all over the world come to see what Canadian pride looks like — standing tall, proud, and welcoming.

So if you ever find yourself in Toronto, take a little time to visit the CN Tower.
Step onto the glass floor. Walk around the observation deck. Maybe even dangle off the side if you’re feeling bold.
Or just stand at the bottom, look up, and let yourself feel that little flutter of wonder.

Photo by adriana macias on Unsplash