What to know
- Toronto City Council has approved agreements with Durham, York and Peel regions that will allow neighbouring paramedic services to respond to some emergency calls near Toronto’s borders during the FIFA World Cup.
- The temporary integrated response model will operate on 10 designated event days between June 11 and July 2 to help manage increased demand as the city expects hundreds of thousands of visitors.
- The plan is expected to cost approximately $800,000, funded through Toronto Paramedic Services’ FIFA World Cup budget allocation.
- Alongside emergency service preparations, the TTC, Metrolinx and the City of Toronto are implementing transportation, cycling and pedestrian measures to accommodate tournament-related travel and crowds.
Some Torontonians who call for a paramedic over the next month may notice emergency response units from neighbouring municipalities responding to their calls as the city prepares for increased demand during the FIFA World Cup.
At its May 20-21 meeting, Toronto City Council approved a motion authorizing the city to negotiate and enter into agreements with surrounding municipalities to help deliver uninterrupted emergency response services within two kilometres of Toronto’s municipal boundaries.
Toronto is expected to welcome more than 230,000 visitors during the tournament. The integrated response model is intended to ease additional pressure on the city’s emergency medical system and maintain service levels during the event.
The initiative stems from a recommendation by the FIFA World Cup 2026 Subcommittee.
Under the approved motion, the city will enter into separate agreements with the Regional Municipality of Durham, the Regional Municipality of York, and the Regional Municipality of Peel to provide the response service.
The integrated service will operate on 10 designated event days between June 11 and July 2.
Funding and operational impact
Implementing the model is reportedly expected to cost approximately $800,000, with funding coming from the World Cup allocation within Toronto Paramedic Services’ 2026 operating budget.
The FIFA World Cup Subcommittee says the plan will strengthen regional coordination, help preserve emergency medical coverage across the city, balance frontline staff workloads, and support Toronto’s safe hosting of the tournament.
Transit agencies prepare for tournament crowds
Paramedic services are among many city departments preparing for the event, including transportation agencies that are ramping up operations ahead of the matches.
In March, the TTC, Metrolinx, and the City of Toronto unveiled their FIFA Mobility Plan, which outlines transportation and traffic measures designed to support travel during the tournament. The plan could include temporary traffic and transit adjustments in the downtown core, particularly around Toronto Stadium, Exhibition Place, Liberty Village, the waterfront, and Fort York.
Cycling and pedestrian improvements
The mobility plan also includes enhancements to cycling and pedestrian routes in the area, along with the addition of temporary bicycle parking facilities.
