‘You get to the top and it’s electric:’ The 2026 CN Tower Climb for Nature rivals our best climbs

WWF Canada

Coming together to take on the dual challenge of climbing Toronto’s CN Tower and conserving Canadian nature, 5,805 people climbed 1,776 steps while raising $1.46 million (and counting) for wildlife this past weekend.

Of course, the communal event was not without some friendly rivalries as TV stars, competitive athletes and family members alike raced up the 144 flights of stairs as fast as they could.

Lisa Nagy crossing the CN Tower Climb for Nature finish line
Lisa Nagy reaching the top of the CN Tower’s 144 flights. (Photo by Kevin Raposo / WWF Canada)

“I didn’t expect this. I didn’t think I’d be as fast as I was, so it feels like a surprise, and [feels] very good,” said Lisa Nagy after setting a new fastest female Climb for Nature record at 12 minutes and one second, a full 47 seconds faster than the previous record she had set last year.

But speed isn’t her main reason for doing the climb: “There’s not much more of an important cause than conserving nature,” added Nagy. “[It’s] important to all of us. We all depend on it. World Wildlife Fund does some amazing stuff in Canada and abroad.”

This year’s fastest overall climber, Tyler Kruschenske, raced up in 10 minutes and 43 seconds, beating the weekend’s second-fasted climber — himself! — after climbing both days.

WWF-Canada staff and Team Panda member Bridget Matthews with Nick Sworobowicz showing off their impressive climb times on wildlife-themed event T-shirts sponsored by Bullfrog Power. © Eric Newcombe

“It’s always more daunting leading up to it than when you actually do it,” said Cody Moynes, part of Team SOSA (Save our Species Alliance) with his reality-TV star brother and SOSA founder, Blake Moynes. But this year, their competition went virtual with his brother taking part in the Anywhere Climb. “Blake’s doing 25,000 steps in Botswana,” Cody said, adding with a grin, “but we’re talking about level ground. It’s not the same.”

In addition to sibling rivalry, there was also some Heated Rivalry as two of the hit show’s stars —   Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova (“Svetlana”) and Harrison Browne (“Connors”) — completed their first climbs.

“We need to protect our world, and it starts with conservation,” said Browne, a former pro hockey player, who fondly recalled owls chasing the puck in his backyard ice rink as a kid. (That hockey training paid off, by the way: he scored a 16 minutes and 48 second time up the tower.)

“I’m so happy that so many Heated Rivalry fans came together to support WWF-Canada,” said Kharlamova, who told us she’d previously fundraised for WWF in school back when she was a kid.

Castmates stepped up elsewhere, too. From where he’s filming in Ottawa, Franco Lo Presti (“Cliff”) completed his Anywhere Climb by racing up and down Sandy Hills’ Strathcona Park stairs. “I guarantee it wasn’t as tough as the CN Tower Climb,” said Franco, “but I encourage anyone who can’t make it out this weekend to donate or just find a set of stairs and do your own Anywhere Climb for nature.”

Harrison Browne, Ksenia Kharlamova and Anastasia Kharlamova celebrate at the top of the CN Tower with WWF's panda mascot on May 2.
Harrison Browne, Ksenia Kharlamova and Anastasia Kharlamova celebrate at the top of the CN Tower with WWF’s panda mascot on May 2.

Excitement on the observation deck

“You get to the top and it’s electric. People are so happy to be here, they’re so happy with what they’ve accomplished, and they’re so happy to be supporting wildlife all across Canada with every step they took,” said Megan Leslie, WWF-Canada president and CEO, just after completing the climb herself.

WWF-Canada president and CEO Megan Leslie enjoying the view at the 2026 CN Tower Climb for Nature © Sophia Allam / WWF-Canada

“Supporting animals is one of the ways to live in a good environment, because without animals, we cannot be human. They protect us, we protect them,” said second-time climber Boaz Kamba Byamugisha, who also shared that climbing the iconic tower is especially meaningful to him as a recent newcomer to Canada from Uganda. “The first time I came to Canada, I came hearing about the CN Tower. So the moment I visited it, it was amazing.”

This year’s climb also kicked off a three-year national sponsorship by Aviso, after the success of their inaugural year sponsoring the 2025 Climb For Nature at the CN Tower, BC Place and “Anywhere.”

“This partnership means a lot to us, and it means a lot to our employees,” said Tara Lemieux, Aviso’s VP of marketing. “The employees actually chose WWF as a partner. We care a lot about our environment. We care a lot about our planet.”

At the end of the weekend, everyone celebrated their personal achievements and contributions to taking care of nature and wildlife today and for future generations. Thank you to all the climbers, donors, sponsors and volunteers for spending their weekend helping to Regenerate Canada.

Click here to access photos from the event.

About WWF-Canada’s Climb for Nature
The WWF Climb for Nature raises more than $1 million annually to protect habitats and species across Canada. It started at the CN Tower in 1991 and has grown to include events at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver (coming this fall) and an Anywhere Climb for Nature. For more information, visit wwf.ca/climb.