Report says City Hall to limit road work from May to end of July<\/p>\n
Published Mar 16, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Once the fun and games of World Cup Soccer are over in Toronto, look for numbers as people who brought the games to the city try to justify the unbelievable expense and social upheaval.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The latest\u00a0mind-boggling\u00a0move is reported by\u00a0Toronto Life: \u201cLast month, the city declared that vast swaths of Toronto would be off-limits to road work from May 1 to July 31 to keep streets clear, what with the deluge of soccer fans expected to descend on the city. These restricted zones would cover everything south of Bloor Street to the lake between\u00a0Sherbourne\u00a0and Landsdowne as well as Parkside Drive, Roncesvalles Avenue, and long stretches of Dufferin, Bathurst, Avenue,\u00a0Broadview\u00a0and Yonge north of Bloor.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Recommended Videos<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Three months of prime building season\u00a0\u2014\u00a0for games that will\u00a0run on\u00a0six days from June 12\u00a0to\u00a0July 2,\u00a0\u2014\u00a0starting\u00a042 days\u00a0before the first game\u00a0and\u00a029 days\u00a0after the last.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n This\u00a0in\u00a0a city\u00a0that has a housing shortage as arguably its major issue.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Builders concerned about construction restrictions<\/p>\n Richard Lyall, president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON), Ontario\u2019s leading association of residential builders,\u00a0is\u00a0worried about it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just another fresh hell facing the industry,\u201d says Lyall. \u201cWe found out about this a few weeks ago. Our industry doesn\u2019t\u00a0turn on a dime.\u00a0Projects have been years in the planning.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n He says that\u00a0the\u00a0move\u00a0the city\u00a0is planning,\u00a0without a clear set of rules or remedies in place, \u201cis a little crazy.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Why is\u00a0the month of May\u00a0included?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u00a0understand\u00a0that they have to move people\u00a0around the day before the game, the day of the game,\u00a0but a lot of people will be making a lot of money from these games, but they turn around to our industry and say you can pick up the tab\u00a0for part of it without much notice,\u201d\u00a0he says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Lyall\u00a0adds that the people in charge\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know anything about construction, although he notes\u00a0that he understands\u00a0there were more productive conversations around the issue in Vancouver.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n That is encouraging to hear, as productivity is not the norm at Toronto City Hall.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Lyall\u00a0says the city seems to be ignoring issues related to home warranties, safety, commercial matters, contractual matters, and delays that could be significant.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Industry says city rules are unclear<\/p>\n What is the economic impact of all of this?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s huge,\u201d Lyall says. \u201cThere are\u00a0penalties to be considered. You\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know whether that contractor\u00a0can\u00a0return\u00a0in August.\u00a0We\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0shut down for COVID. Residential construction was considered an essential service.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Lyall was unable to guess\u00a0as to what the negative economic impact would\u00a0be, saying,\u00a0\u201cWe\u00a0don\u2019t even know what the rules are yet.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The shutdown, if it happens, is only six weeks away.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Any assessment of the cost\/benefit of the World Cup will have to be done on a ledger that considers not only the\u00a0actual\u00a0cost\u00a0in money laid out by the various levels of government, but the\u00a0cost of things like a construction shutdown and its negative impact on the economy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Any failure to\u00a0honestly consider the cost will only\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0what is most likely to\u00a0happen. The\u00a0games\u00a0will be fun.\u00a0The\u00a0accounting\u00a0will be\u00a0funny numbers. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n JAY GOLDBERG: Capping ticket resale prices would be a big mistake<\/p>\n![\"FIFA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-02-164308-e1772499238353.png\")
The City of Toronto on Tuesday will mark 100 days until the World Cup begins in T.O. Photo by Enrique Baniqued \/Destination TorontoArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.7.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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