UMVA has learned that the City of Toronto is planning a major overhaul of its waste management system ahead of the FIFA World Cup, a move that could leave some businesses in the city's west end facing additional costs.
The city has shifted nighttime waste collection in certain areas, including Liberty Village, Fort York, Parkdale, Little Portugal, and Little Italy, from July 2 to Canada Day. This change means that businesses normally closed on July 1 will have to put out their bins before 6 p.m. on July 1, potentially requiring them to pay employees time-and-a-half to manage the waste collection.
According to information obtained by UMVA, nearly 2,700 businesses and residential customers will be impacted by the date change. The city is working with Circular Materials to adjust recycling pickup schedules, but some business owners may still face significant disruptions.
The affected areas include arterial roads south of College St. to the lake and between Roncesvalles Ave. and Bathurst St., as well as local roads in Liberty Village. The city is advising impacted businesses to contact 311 for accommodations.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the city's decision to change the waste collection schedule is motivated by a desire to ensure a positive experience for visitors and pedestrians during the World Cup. With a large Portuguese community in the area, officials want to avoid any negative impacts on the city's image during the tournament.
The city has hand-delivered notices to each affected customer, with a second notice to be delivered in the last week of June as a reminder. The city is confident that its communication strategy, combined with support from councillors' offices and business improvement areas, will minimize disruptions.
As the city prepares for the World Cup, it will also increase its street cleaning efforts and public litter bin collections. Workers will sweep sidewalks, laneways, and public spaces for up to 16 hours per day, while litter vacuums will collect debris along priority corridors beginning at 4 a.m. each day.
Mobile response teams will address litter hotspots, illegal dumping, and service requests, working up to 16 hours a day and increasing to 24-hour coverage on match days. Litter bins within the FIFA footprint will see increased collection frequency, with extended coverage up to 20 hours per day.
