On my first outing to the city center of Toronto, the first place on my list was the famous CN Tower, which overlooks the entire city and Lake Ontario. After purchasing tickets, I walked through the available information displays and learned some interesting facts about the tower.
This iconic tower, built in 1976, stands 555.3 meters tall above Toronto’s skyline, making it the tallest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere. It is regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, and one can see why, given the impressive engineering effort that went into its construction.
The CN Tower is built to withstand extreme temperature changes and weather conditions. The tower receives approximately 75 lightning strikes per year. It can withstand winds of up to 418 km/h, but its sway is only noticeable in very strong winds. At 200 km/h, the antenna will sway 1.07m, SkyPod 0.46m, and MainPod 22.9cm.
After a rather quick elevator ride, I loved admiring the view from the main observation area, which is 436m above the ground. There was plenty of room to move around and take in the view of the city from all angles. From the lower platform and MainPod, there is a glass platform you can stand on if you feel brave enough to see the city below. There is a time capsule on the Main Platform that can be opened on the tower’s 100th birthday in 2076. I loved being able to see the frozen waters of Lake Ontario, and the snow on the surrounding landscape in the beautiful clear day.
The top observation platform is 447m high, or 33 stories up, and on a clear day provides views as far as 160km, all the way to Niagara Falls in the distance and to New York State. At the top platform, I could feel a very slight sway—almost the same feeling as getting on a boat harbored on reasonably still water. Tuned mass damping systems are in place that stabilize the tower using suspended large weights on pendulums, which counteract the movement of the tower, helping to keep it stable.
Other exciting activities you can take part in when you visit the tower include going to the 360 Restaurant, which rotates slowly, completing a full rotation every 72 minutes and giving amazing views while you eat. You can also try the EdgeWalk: a walk along the outside edge of the CN Tower’s MainPod while secured by a harness 116 stories up—making it the Guinness World Record for the world’s highest external walk on a building.
The panoramic views from the top of the CN Tower are worth every penny. Seeing Toronto spread out before you like that, with Lake Ontario sparkling in the distance, is truly something special! It’s a view you won’t soon forget.
Shells Adventures 