A History Of The Canada Life Building In 1 Minute

Today, the weather beacon is the oldest device of its kind in Canada with 1,500 lightbulbs and 9,000 feet of wiring. The lights, representing different color codes, summarize forecasts from clear, cloudy, rain and snow to temperature rises and decreases. It will even tell you if the temperature will remain unchanged. The information is updated four times a day by the Weather Center at Pearson Airport; in 1951, the weather predictions were said to be ‘80% correct’, which were programed by hand using switches in the control room.
At first, the lights were only turned on from dusk until 2:00 a.m (the lights weren’t bright enough to be seen during the day), except during winter when the lights were turned on in the early — and, dark — mornings. Although there were improvements in lighting technology since its construction, Canada Life began to minimize their energy use a few years ago by turning off the beacon at midnight; recently, the bulbs were replaced with energy-efficient LEDs, making the beacon available for more constant use despite its outdated nature as a method for weather reporting.
In 2005, designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna, the Canada Life Tower was built adjacent to the Canada Life Building, connected by an enclosed, above-ground walkway.
📅 Canada Life Building: By appointment only