Toronto's executive committee passed a motion on Tuesday to partner with Durham, York and Peel regions' paramedic services during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The collaboration would support emergency response within two kilometres of Toronto's boundaries on event days between June 11 and July 2.
The motion will advance to Toronto city council for final approval. The partnership aims to manage increased demand on the city's medical emergency response system as the tournament unfolds.
The report recommending the integrated response model, submitted by Toronto's FIFA World Cup 2026 executive director Sharon Bollenbach and Toronto Paramedic Services chief Bikram Chawla, projected that over 230,000 daily visitors will be in Toronto during the World Cup. This influx will strain emergency services and transportation networks across the region.
The response strategy is designed to maintain emergency medical coverage in Toronto, balance workload on frontline paramedic staff, and support safe event operations. Implementation of the integrated response model would cost approximately $800,000, to be drawn from the World Cup portion of Toronto Paramedic Services' operating budget this year.
