Would Toronto be Toronto without the CN Tower? The newest documentary about the city’s biggest landmark invites a reflection on its real role shaping up Toronto to what it is today. Spoiler: the impact is greater than you think.
The CN Tower’s 50th anniversary is coming up this summer, and to celebrate this milestone, Director Mark Myers’ The Tower that Built a City is screening at the Hot Docs film festival on Friday.
Organized in chapters, the film takes the viewer on a journey into the city’s history, centered around the tower, including interviews from those involved in its design and construction, historic insights, and archival footage.
One of the largest cities in North America, and the largest in Canada, Toronto’s reputation is internationally recognized. The city houses over three million people, and is a centre for culture, entertainment, economy, politics, and the list goes on.
But believe it or not, as revealed by the documentary, that hasn’t always been the case.
As stated by several of the film’s interviewees, Toronto was rather dull in the 1950s. The city was constantly living in the shadow of Montreal, which used to be Canada’s gold star at the time.
Things started to change in the 1960s, when the city received an influx of immigration, prompted by Pierre Trudeau’s leadership, the Vietnam War, and Quebec’s Quiet Revolution. In addition, in 1967, Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP) proposed the Metro Centre project, a $1-billion ambitious development plan, which aimed to transform a stretch of the city’s downtown core near the waterfront.
At the time, Toronto was also in need of a large-scale athena which could power up the city’s telecommunications system, so plans for a large tower also joined the project.
From this point, the documentary dives more into details on the design and engineering of the tower, from its characteristic Y shape to the challenges in keeping such a large structure straight. Chapters include archival and new interviews with the big names involved in the project, including structural engineer Franz Knoll to supervising architect Ned Baldwin, who offer the viewer a different perspective into what it took to carry over the project.
The interviews and footage really give the viewer a behind-the-scenes feel of the project, and set up the scene on how challenging and significant each moment was, especially for those of us who’ve only ever seen the tower after it was fully up.
Once the landmark was opened to the public on June 26, 1976, it had an immediate impact, from attracting visitors from all over to revolutionizing the city’s telecommunications system. However, its effects went way beyond that.
The city now had a new landmark, but it still needed to find its spark. As shown through TV footage and interviews from entertainment figures, such as Choclair and Director X, the city lacked a clear identity. From being geographically close to the U.S. to the widespread consumption of American media, the city was often lost on what it actually meant to be from here.
In the later stretch of the film, the viewer is able to reflect on the larger impact of the CN Tower on the city’s identity. From the moment the landmark was launched, the city was able to receive a new visual identity, which was translated into visibility and investments, and eventually space in the entertainment industry.
On top of development, Toronto has grown into a cultural hub, driven by the emergence of some of the country’s most well-known sports teams, including the Maple Leafs, the Blue Jays, and the Raptors; and of course, some music names that have helped bring the spotlight back to the city, including Drake, The Weeknd, and Jessie Reyes.
Today, the CN Tower continues to serve as an athena to power telecommunications, but its purpose goes way beyond that. Observed from multiple areas across the city and recognized internationally as the city’s main landmarks, it has really become a symbol of its growth.
Overall, the film is a definite gem for the Toronto curious minds, especially those who love to learn more about the city’s history. However, be prepared for a piece that’s heavily-filled with content, as the film has rare moments of silent or music backgrounds, being constantly led by expert interview voices and historical information.
Although hearing from the expert voices in and out of the project can drive knowledge, the film doesn’t include many interviews from Toronto residents or members of the general public. It would certainly also have been interesting to hear from the public what they believe the CN tower represents for the city, especially as it completes 50 years.
All in all, the documentary is a great way to reflect on the city’s evolution and celebrate as the tower that decorates its skyline completes another milestone.
