I'm sat looking out of my window at a rainbow of different colours flying up and down the CN Tower. Some look good others look positively tacky. I always wondered why Canada's famous landmark wasn't illuminated at night but is this going a little too far?

I think white would be good...using different colours to mark different occasions similar to the Empire State Building in NYC. What are your thoughts?

When I last saw the CN Tower in person, the base was dark at night which looked rather eerie. So they're now colouring it up a bit eh?

I think regularly throwing coloured light on that big a tower would drive the people who live near it crazy. There are loads of condos that are close to the tower.

We are right by the tower and it is very distracting...similar to the Christmas chasing lights going up and down the elevator shafts. At the moment they are red, white and blue...but it has been purple, yellow and green.

I suppose I could always close the blinds.

Yes there's that.

Red and white.... Canada Day is coming up soon. Purple, yellow and green sound like they are practising for Mardi Gras on a summer Thursday!

I sure do hope to get up that way again sometime soon. Not too long ago, SARS really ruined tourism. I hope it's picked up again since.

When did the CN tower become Canada's landmark?

Before I came here. It's an interesting question though, if not that, what would be?

Niagara Falls is half-American.

Parliament is a copy of one somewhere else.

The Olympic Stadium in Montreal maybe but it has a bit of an unfortunate history.

Perhaps it's how people in other countries view it?

It has always been Toronto's CN Tower to me, and I don't believe I'm in the minority on this.

Not at all sure we need one particular item.

Do the UK or the U.S. have one national landmark?

Does it have to be man made?

What are the criteria and who set the rules?

It's the National Igloo, innit?

http://www.placeandthyme.com/000595.php

So what do I know, I stand corrected.

CNW Group whoever they are defines the CN Tower as "Canada's National Tower" and it's going to be lit up on June 28th. for the OP's information.

Lighting Canada's National Tower

1976? It has been the world's tallest freestanding structure ever since it was built, which I think makes a pretty strong case for a national landmark. And it's in the country's most populous city, which also helps.

Think of France with the Eiffel tower, Australia with the opera house and harbour bridge in Sydney, the US with the Capitol and buildings/monuments on the Mall in Washington, Greece with the Parthenon... national landmarks tend to be significant buildings in major (but not necessarily capital) cities.

Don't know what else in Canada would be so recognisable outside the country - Confederation Bridge? Chateau Frontenac? the Parliament buildings in Ottawa? Lion's Gate Bridge? The Empress Hotel? I think not.

I'd vote for the Big Apple in Napanee (if that's where it is... on the 401 east of Kingston somewhere...). Or the dog-turd-on-a-stick outside the Potato Museum in O'Leary, PEI - now that's a must-see

http://www.peipotatomuseum.com/site/index.htm in case you're interested. Went there on my honeymoon, but mainly by mistake...

I've never thought of any of these things as national landmarks but more associated with the cities they are in.

We have Pammy. The National Igloos.

Well yes, a landmark has to be somewhere - but I'm curious now. I listed those few because they're the mental images that pop into my head associated with those countries. What sort of short-hand imagery do other people have when they think of particular countries? Does anybody else do this at all, or is it all part of what my family derides as my strange obsession with maps and atlases?

Dunno about the theory, but big ben (or at least the tower) is it for the UK.

US? Not so sure. Statue of liberty or the empire state building. More to choose from there I guess.

Its near colbourne, between cobourg and brighton, and they havent sold a pie in months if the big board is to be believed.