It was on this day...

After months of talks, designs, options and colour choices, work on what we now know as the CN Tower officially began.  The shovels went in the ground on this day in 1973. There isn't much more to say about the tower that hasn't already been said.   it currently sits as one of the seven wonders of the modern world, placed on that list by the American Society of Civil Engineers.  Built on the CN rail lands, the CN tower was built by CN rail, thus giving it that name. It is currently now owned by the Canadian government and is now referred to as Canada's national tower.  Strangely enough, there was talk at one time of giving the tower a permanent colour other than the cement colour we know now it to have.  Pink was actually one of the options tossed around.   Combining the chosen colour into the cement mixture as the tower was being constructed, as it rose from the ground foot by foot, Toronto's skyline would have looked strangely different that what it does today.  The LED lights that now illuminate the tower is a sight much more pleasing to the skyline, as well as our eyes, other than the possible pink it would have permanently been.  Either way, it still would have made it on to the seven wonders list.. but just for a different reason if it was a pink tower.

In the 60's when the talk began on constructing Canada's telecommunication tower, there was no doubt as to where it would have been constructed. CN owned the space, had the means, and also the funds to do it.  As Toronto was emerging as Canada's hot spot for growth, the rail lands as well as the waterfront had visionaries imagining a new modern downtown core, equipt with a new water front community (right on the water) called "Harbour City". Public transit weaving its way through pedestrian only boulevards, partially built on land fill that would stabilize a community branching its way out on to the lake at the foot of Bathurst utilizing the island airport land as well as land fill.  This community would have been revolutionary in terms of creating space where growth had never intended to be.  The island airport was under utilized at the time and only capable of accommodating small aircraft. Pearson was the airport of choice and Toronto wanted a crowning jewel on the waterfront, thus the idea of Harbour City arose.  This would have been a car free, pedestrian friendly community able to house 60,000 residents with access to public transit only minutes from each dwelling.  There were zoning issues, height requirements and talk that the city wouldn't be able to sustain an area without having auto access to it as well as a price tag of $500 million over a twelve year period that killed the project.  The idea sounds wonderful now, at a time when the city needs pedestrian only areas and a waterfront jewel.  We still may see the idea come to life on what we now know as the Leslie Street spit.  It's only a matter of time until land becomes scarce and land fill on areas that we never thought would sustain life- actually do.