Toronto will draw thousands of visitors during World Cup but local residents have concerns

As Toronto prepares for thousands to visit during the upcoming FIFA World Cup, residents in the downtown neighbourhoods nearest the venue have questions about how the games will impact them.

At a community information session Tuesday, Liberty Village and Fort York residents asked dozens of questions about road closures, cleanliness, safety and security, traffic congestion, parking, TTC service changes, and cultural events. Liberty Village and Fort York are near Toronto Stadium, the temporary name that has been given to BMO Field while the city hosts the games.

Jennifer Poon, a volunteer executive member of Fort York Neighbourhood Association, is among those with questions.

"We do have some concerns about certainly litter and how that will be handled with the high volume of visitors that will be coming to the area," Poon said.

"Certainly transit impacts are something that we're also thinking about and safety considerations. We want to make sure that everyone who visits and lives here is safe and secure for the duration of the games."

But she said while there is trepidation, there's excitement as well.

"I think overall, we're excited to have this really big event showcase our neighborhood and take place right in our backyard. It's a really great opportunity for the entire neighborhood, residents and businesses and visitors alike."

Coun. Ausma Malik, who represents Spadina-Fort York, Ward 10, said planning is underway to ensure the event is a positive experience.

"As the local councillor for our communities, I know the impact of the games will be most felt in our neighbourhoods."

Malik said she pushed for the creation of a World Cup neighbourhood planning table last year to ensure residents have information, can enjoy the games and are able to get around safely during the event.

The planning table has been focused on transportation, event management and public engagement, Malik said.

Jesse Topliffe, chair of the CityPlace Fort York BIA, said Tuesday that the Blue Jays World Series run provided lessons for businesses in the ward.

"Some of the learnings would be: you need more staff than you think; you need more product than you think; if you have scheduled a vacation during that time, you might want to reconsider," Topliffe said.

"And certainly, traffic and transit become a bit trickier with that volume," he said.