Photo: Harrison Browne, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova and sister Anastasia Kharlamova © WWF-Canada/ Eric Newcombes
On May 2 and 3, 2026, the CN Tower became something more than an icon on Toronto’s skyline. For one spring weekend, its 1,776 stairs became a pathway for thousands of people determined to do something tangible for wildlife. By the end of WWF-Canada’s Climb for Nature (wwf.ca/climb), 5,805 participants—supported by nearly 23,033 donors and volunteers—helped raise over $1.46 million for conservation efforts across the country.
For WWF-Canada, the event is not just a fundraiser. It is a way of turning public energy into practical support for the natural world. The money raised helps back conservation work ranging from protecting Arctic habitat for walrus, beluga, polar bears, and caribou to restoring salmon habitat in British Columbia alongside First Nations. In that sense, the climb is about much more than endurance. It is about transforming individual effort into something lasting for wildlife and wild places.
WWF-Canada president and CEO Megan Leslie put the weekend’s impact simply: “It’s been an awesome weekend for wildlife in Canada,” she said. Every stair climbed, every donation made, and every volunteer hour given pointed toward the same larger goal: helping nature thrive.
A Weekend Fuelled by Community
Part of what makes the climb resonate year after year is the range of people it draws. Some arrive with personal fundraising goals and training plans. Others come because they have made the event part of their family rhythm. Many simply want to challenge themselves while supporting a cause that feels urgent and worthwhile.
That mix of motivations gave the weekend its real heart. It was there in the first-time climbers taking a careful pace, in the returning participants chasing a personal best, and in the groups of friends urging one another up the 144 flights. The atmosphere was competitive in moments, but even more than that, it was encouraging.
Ontario circus performer Maya Auchincloss brought one of the weekend’s most personal stories, crossing the CN Tower climb off her bucket list before a planned foot amputation later this year. Supported by her mother and a circle of friends, she finished what she had set out to do and described that sense of completion as the best part.
Longtime participant Reece David, better known as Peterborough Deadpool, brought another kind of energy. A repeat climber who has tackled the event more than a dozen times, he returned once again in costume, mixing humour with a genuine love of wildlife and nature. For him, the event’s appeal lies not only in the cause, but in the atmosphere: the volunteers, the encouragement on the stairs, and the shared positivity of people working toward something good.
Fast Times and Memorable Moments
The weekend also had its athletic highlights. Lisa Nagy posted the fastest women’s time of the event at 12 minutes and one second, setting a new women’s record for the WWF Climb for Nature. Tyler Kruschenske was the fastest male climber, finishing in 10 minutes and 43 seconds.
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Among the many climbers taking on the tower were a few familiar faces. Heated Rivalry stars Harrison Browne and Ksenia Kharmalova tackled the climb for the first time, helping bring added visibility to WWF-Canada’s cause. Kharmalova was especially struck by the support that came in from beyond Canada. “So many people donated … They weren’t even from Canada,” she said, adding that she was thrilled to see Heated Rivalry fans rally behind WWF-Canada’s cause.
Browne, meanwhile, reflected on the support that poured in around the campaign. “Seeing the folks that came to support my campaign and donate from all over the world,” he said, was one of the best parts of the experience. For an event rooted in a Toronto landmark, that wider show of support gave the weekend an even bigger sense of momentum.
More Than a Fundraising Total for WWF-Canada
Since launching at the CN Tower in 1991, WWF-Canada’s Climb for Nature has grown into one of the organization’s defining annual fundraisers, bringing in more than $1 million each year to help protect habitats and species across the country. It has also expanded beyond Toronto, with a BC Place climb planned for Vancouver this fall and an Anywhere Climb option for those who want to participate on their own terms.
(SOURCE: World Wildlife Fund Canada)
