Informative and engaging, The Tower that Built a City shows us the evolution of Toronto through an overly nostalgic lens. The result is a feel-good jaunt that anyone with a love for the city will finish watching with a smile.

Since 1976, Toronto’s skyline has been defined by the iconic CN Tower. From planning to today, the tower has immense importance to the city, in some cases, far more than we could ever imagine. From Canadian TV to music, film and sports, the 6ix’s culture has been formed by 1815.3 feet of concrete.

Some say it’s the best view in the city, as you get to see the entire span of the GTA and, on a good day, Buffalo. (In reality, it’s the view from Toronto Island of the cityscape at sunrise or sunset), You can’t help but marvel at what you see and what you are in. It’s a wonderful 50-year-old feat that positively helped shape Downtown Toronto, so Mark Myers documentary The Tower That Built a City seems like the perfect building to document.

Hearing about the history of the tower, from pre-planning (a way to try and outdo Montreal) to the whole way through to the finishing touches, the documentary is phenomenally engrossing, with Myers rightfully even finding time to talk to and mention the sole person who died during the building of the CN Tower. We hear of who takes credit, etc., and the dynamic and pace grab you. Perhaps it is the architecture nerd in me, but hearing how the team worked out that, to make the tower slightly more aesthetically pleasing, they covered the satellites in the bottom portion of the observation section with a fibreglass bubble to keep the connection strong is fascinating. As we approach the final stages of construction, we begin to hear from those who need the tower for non-tourist purposes, such as CITY TV founder Moses Znaimer.

Almost all participants bring personality to the proceedings, and you truly feel the pride and joy they and Myers have for their city. This joy practically bounces off the screen as we see montage after montage of the city, the tower, the sports teams, etc. However, that is not without its faults, as I will get into later, but by far the strongest aspect for a non-Torontonian is the tower itself. You quickly see how much The Tower That Built a City is a love letter to the culture that has grown through TV, sports, music, and film over the decades since the tower rose into the sky.

Rarely do we see any signs of negativity towards the city, aside from archive footage of former mayors who were far too conservative compared to those in Montreal, which hurts the documentary a tad. We are seeing things with a far-too-nostalgic edge that feels as if it is meant to showcase the city’s famous events and people. Certainly catered more to those from the city than to those not, which is a shame, as it feels like there are moments purely for an audience based in the city to clap when someone or a win from the Blue Jays or Raptors pops on camera.

It’s a shame, as someone who loves the city, that the moments shared weren’t showing the entire GTA’s growth and more, just about sports and music. Culturally important to the city, yes, but does it show off Toronto that we know as well as it could? I don’t think so, which is a shame as the first half of the documentary works so well. You are engaged in the struggles to get Toronto to begin its growth, to beat Montreal. Then the actual construction, but it feels like the CN Tower is an afterthought here, used more to link things in the city, because we can see it from where the person is.

Is there any mythologising about how Canada and Toronto were in the 60s-80s compared to their US neighbours? Sure. In fact, we probably spend too much time making these comparisons to shoehorn in aspects of the city that Myers wants to show pride in. There is limited discussion of strife that would also have been occurring in Toronto itself (and still does). But this isn’t really what The Tower That Built a City is about. It’s about celebrating the CN Tower and, more importantly, Toronto itself, even if it’s as smooth as it wants to be. However, when the film shows pride in its city and its towering landmark, you can’t help but be swept up in the enthusiasm of what Myers does here. In that sense, it makes The Tower That Built a City a rounding success.

When you view the film as Myers intended, as a simple, but joyful love letter to his home city, you cannot help but be pulled in by its charm, and that is the lasting effect the documentary has on you as a viewer.

★★★

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