Facts on Canada’s CN Tower

During Toronto’s building boom in the early ’70s, a serious problem was developing. People were experiencing poor quality television. The pre-skyscraper transmission towers of Toronto stations were simply not high enough anymore. As office buildings were reaching higher and higher, the video reception and radio signal got weaker and soon became almost impossible to receive. Signals from Toronto and from Buffalo, New York were bouncing off the buildings. As a result, viewers often saw a weaker station superimposed over another. So they were watching two shows at once. It became clear that they needed an antenna that would not only be taller than any building in the city but one that would be taller than anything that would probably ever be built.

Today, the microwave receivers which pull in distant signals are about 305 metres or 1000 feet up (inside that white doughnut-like thing), and the top of the transmission antenna is 553.33 metres or 1815 feet 5 inches high (that’s the very top). Because of this, we enjoy some of the clearest TV and radio reception in North America. An extra little tidbit you may not have known:

• It wasn’t until late in the design process that the architects decided to turn the Tower into a Tourist Attraction.
• The CN Tower was built by the Canadian National Railway.
• Opened to the public on June 26, 1976
• Official opening on October 1, 1976
• Adjusted cost (1997 dollars): $250 million
• Number of construction workers: 1,537
• Total weight of the Tower: 117,910 metric tonnes (130,000 tons)
• The volume of concrete: 40,523.8 cubic metres (53,000 cubic yards)
• Reinforcing steel: 4,535 metric tonnes (5,000 tons)
• Structural steel: 544.2 metric tonnes (600 tons)
• Number of elevators: 6 (including 2 which officially opened March 20, 1997)
• Speed of elevators: 6 metres/second (20 feet/second)
• The slow speed of elevators (in high winds): 1.5 metres/second (5 feet/second)
• Attendance: about 1.8 million per year
• Total staff (off-season): approximately 400
• Total staff (peak season): approximately 550
• Maximum sway in 190 km/h winds with 320 km/h gusts (120 mph winds with 200 mph gusts): Antenna: 6 ft., 8 in. from the centre
• Sky Pod: 3 ft., 4 in. from the centre
• Tower Sphere: 1 ft., 7 in. from the centre
• The thickness of windows: Outer pane – 9.5 mm (3/8 inch), inner pane – 6.4 mm (1/4 inch)
• The capacity of 360, The Restaurant at the Tower: 400 people
• The time it takes to revolve once: 72 minutes
• The capacity of Horizons Cafe: 500 people
• Broadcast Facilities: UHF, VHF Television; FM Radio; Microwave Transmissions; Fixed Mobile Systems

Companies that broadcast from the Tower:

• CBC Channel 5 & 25,
• CFMT 47,
• CFTO 9,
• City 57,
• Global/CIII 41,
• TV Ontario 19,
• LOOK Communications (Digital),
• CHFI/Rogers,
• CFNY FM,
• CHIN FM,
• CHUM FM,
• CILQ FM,
• CJEZ FM,
• CJRT FM,
• CKFM FM,
• Bell Canada,
• Cantel,
• Motorola,
• TTC

The thickness of The Glass Floor: 2 1/2 “. Layers, from the top down: 3/16″ scuff plate (replaced annually) Two 1/2″ layers of clear tempered glass, laminated together A one-inch layer of air (for insulation) Two 1/4″ layers of clear tempered glass, laminated together Size of each panel: 42″ by 50” Load tests are performed annually on each panel to ensure safety

Toronto certainly does, and we appreciate the time the following groups and publications recently took to honour the CN Tower:

The CN Tower extends congratulations to II by IV Design Associates partners Dan Menchions and Keith Rushbrook in winning the following design awards from the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO):”Designers of the Year”, GOLD for Public and Institutional Spaces: CN Tower – Public Circulation Space, SILVER for Retail Spaces: CN Tower – Market Place Retail Centre, SILVER for Restaurants and Bars: CN Tower – Market Place Cafe

• City Parent, A Metroland Newsmagazine For City Families chose us as the ‘Best Tourist Attraction in Toronto’ in the Fourth Annual Readers Selection Awards
• Voted the “Best Place to Take Out-Of-Towners” by Eye Magazine
• American Society of Civil Engineers, who accredited us as being one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Modern World’
• Guinness Book of World Records changed our status to ‘World’s Tallest Building and Free-Standing Structure’ and highlighted us on the cover of their 1996 Edition
• NOW Magazine – Best Place to Impress Out-of-Town Visitors
• Toronto Sun Readers’ Choice Awards – Favourite Toronto Attraction
• International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Brass Ring Award – #1 Radio Campaign for Attractions
• World Wildlife Fund of Canada – Bird-Friendly Building Award
• Federal Energy Innovator Award for recognition of innovative leadership in the pursuit of energy management opportunities
• Toronto Tourism Award – Ontario SuperHost for Staff Training & Education
• International Digital Media Awards – Gold for Best Kiosk/Installation for EcoDek
• Environment Canada – Great Lakes Raptor Recovery Plaque
• Tourism Toronto Award – Best Attraction, 1995.