As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, Toronto is finalizing its preparations, potentially collaborating with nearby regions to provide emergency paramedic assistance.
The city’s executive committee approved a proposal on Tuesday to partner with Durham, York, and Peel regions to cover two kilometers of Toronto’s borders for any paramedic emergencies during the tournament.
If approved by the Toronto city council, this initiative will be in effect on event days between June 11 and July 2 this year.
A recommendation presented last month by Sharon Bollenbach, the executive director of Toronto’s FIFA World Cup 2026, and Bikram Chawla, the head of Toronto Paramedic Services, highlighted the expected influx of over 230,000 daily visitors during the World Cup. This surge in visitors is anticipated to strain the city’s emergency medical response system and transportation networks.
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The proposed response strategy aims to ensure continuous emergency medical coverage in Toronto, distribute the workload among frontline staff, and enhance safety measures for the event.
The cost of implementing this integrated response model is estimated to be around $800,000, to be funded from the World Cup allocation in Toronto paramedics’ operating budget for this year.
Toronto’s Focus on Readiness and Execution: Bollenbach
With just a month until the tournament kicks off in Toronto, the city has completed its planning phase and is now concentrating on readiness and execution, stated Bollenbach during a press briefing on Tuesday morning.
“We have a few final tasks to complete, but we are prepared,” she expressed. “The anticipation will continue to grow until the first match on June 12.”
Bollenbach mentioned that her team aims to enhance crowd management and signage in the coming month following a trial run at BMO Field during the Toronto FC and Inter Miami game over the weekend.