The City of Toronto announced the cancellation of public viewing parties at Nathan Phillips Square for Thursday’s World Cup matches, citing an extreme heat forecast and the need to allocate resources for public safety.
Environment Canada projects temperatures reaching 35 °C on Thursday, easing to around 31 °C by evening when the Portugal‑Croatia match kicks off at 7 p.m. at Toronto Stadium. Fan Fest and other designated fan zones across the city will remain open for spectators.
City officials emphasized that police are prepared to support FIFA‑related events while maintaining routine policing duties citywide. The anticipated heat is expected to increase demand for a range of municipal services.
Other World Cup fixtures scheduled for Thursday include Spain versus Austria at 3 p.m. ET and Switzerland versus Algeria at 11 p.m. ET.
Security staffing issues have arisen after a private security contractor failed to provide adequate guards during the tournament’s opening weekend, prompting police to cover gaps with overtime and the recruitment of additional contractors.
The city also confronts rising security costs for separate public projects, such as the pedestrianization of Church Street, now estimated at $500,000 total, including $300,000 allocated for patrols and private security.
Police estimates place the cost of policing peak periods at approximately $50,000, with the majority of duties performed by on‑duty officers.
