The best skyline is undoubtedly Toronto by pretty much any metric aside from natural backdrop or historic buildings. The sheer scale, height, and its notoriety is unlike anything else in Canada. Even historically (from the late 1800s/early 1900s and onward), it looks like Toronto usually had the biggest skyline.

Something I didn't realize, Toronto also had the tallest building in Canada from 1892 to 1928 (with the exception of the Sun Tower in Vancouver from 1913-15). This in addition to the period from 1929 to 1962 and 1967-present.

Toronto by a decent margin. I really love what's happening in Montreal, Calgary and Edmonton too.

Vancouver will always hold a bias for me, but it can't compete with Toronto. Sure looks nice driving in from Hastings St. or heading north on Cambie though.

I agree, Vancouver’s skyline is probably the least North American looking skyline on the continent.

This poll should have asked which city has the 2nd best skyLine. Toronto is #1 by a mile. Quebec City is in second.

Or the question could have been rephrased to something like "which city has the most iconic skyline?"

It's still Toronto. CN Tower is the most iconic building in Canada.

Indeed, but there are other Canadian skylines that are instantly recognizable too (Vancouver, Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax). The poll would have been more of a horse race. :)

Then again, if you took average Joe Canuck/Jacques Canadien and showed them pictures of various Canadian cities, I'd expect that the only city to be close to universally recognized would be Toronto or maybe Quebec City or Ottawa (if Parliament Hill was shown). The rest all fall into 'generic North American city'.

This isn't a unique thing to Canada, BTW. Outside of Paris, who could really identify the smaller provincial cities of France by skyline? Or smaller cities of Japan?

The primate city of each country typically stands above its secondary brethren with respect to skylines - New York, London, Paris, Shanghai.

It makes sense though - the primate city is most inclined to produce monuments appropriate to its status. Secondary cities don't have the financial capital or drive to go on such an endeavour.

I'm looking at it again and I concede your point with respect to North America.

It does look very generic though - the lack of variety in the height or design give it no central feature that stands out.

Still Toronto. Especially viewed from the lake. I don't think it's possible to trick me into thinking it's another city from that angle.

Montreal and Quebec City do much better, in my opinion, on that "iconic" metric. Mount Royal and Chateau Frontenac always give it away.

The rest can probably easily be confused by most people. You could expect some to guess other Pacific Rim cities looking at a picture of Vancouver, or somewhere in the United States looking at Calgary/Edmonton. And the rest... I wouldn't expect people to know Portland, Maine, so I don't expect them to know the Atlantic Canadian cities.

Even if natural setting is factored in it's not like Toronto is lacking there either. The traditional "from the islands" skyline shots are what they are because of the lake adding drama.

I voted for Edmonton. Even though it isn't the best skyline in Canada, it is without doubt the most improved.

Bingo....


The Big Smoke is Canada's best Skyline.

Edmonton most improved.

Canada doesn't have a primate city. Of those cities you listed, only London and Paris are primate cities. The definition is usually something along the lines of "disproportionately larger than other cities" or "more than twice as large as the second-largest city".

Most beautiful major city: Vancouver
Best skyline: Toronto
Most diverse architecture: Montreal
Most historic architecture: Quebec City
Most unique city: Winnipeg

What's your timeframe?

If it's over the past 50 years, I'd say Toronto's the most improved.

If it's over the past 5 years, I'd say it's Brentwood Town Centre.

Toronto is already practically a primate city. It'll probably take a couple decades to check off every last official metric.

Montreal: 1.7 mil
Toronto: 2.9 mil

Greater Montreal: 4 mil
Golden Horseshoe: 8 mil
Greater Golden Horseshoe: 9.5 mil

Past year.

Toronto CMA, 2017 -.6,346,088
Montreal CMA, 2017 - 4,138,254

From Wikipedia:

London metropolitan area - 13,709,000
Birmingham metropolitan area - 3,683,000

Manchester is bigger than Birmingham. Greater London is twice the population of Greater Manchester.

CMA #'s for Toronto are a joke. Half the continuous suburban population is ignored. CMAs are a census administrative category and not a reflection of size. This is why GH figures exist to begin with, the true size of metro Toronto (includes Oshawa, Hamilton and Niagara).