Executive-level staff worked at the Rogers Centre during Taylor Swift concerts and the World Series, but at no other time in 2024 or 2025<\/p>\n
Published May 01, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 13\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 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 While many of us couldn\u2019t afford to get into the building, some of the municipal government\u2019s most powerful executives made an exception to work at the Rogers Centre during the World Series and Taylor Swift\u2019s 2024 concerts.<\/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 Toronto Sun has confirmed that executive-level officials at the City of Toronto\u2019s emergency response departments \u2013 police, fire, paramedics and emergency management \u2013 worked at the Rogers Centre during multiple Swift concerts and World Series games, but they did not work at the stadium at any other time during the last two years.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n After a freedom-of-information request, the city told the Sun that the executive director of its emergency management division worked at 1 Blue Jays Way on Nov. 14, 15, 16 and 21, 2024 \u2013 dates that correspond with four of Swift\u2019s six Toronto concerts \u2013 as well as Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 last year, when games 6 and 7 of the World Series were held.<\/p>\n The only person to ever hold that title is Joanna Beaven-Desjardins.<\/p>\n A Toronto Fire Services representative confirmed to the Sun that Chief Jim Jessop \u201cwas at the stadium\u201d but did not provide details or dates. Two people have told the Sun that Jessop was at the stadium alongside Beaven-Desjardins.<\/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 Dates at the stadium were initially not provided for either the fire or paramedics chief. Representatives for each said both chiefs work \u201c24\/7\u201d jobs that don\u2019t involve \u201cshifts,\u201d so that information fell outside of the Sun\u2019s request.<\/p>\n The paramedic chief, Bikram Chawla, was confirmed to be at the stadium on only two days in those years, Nov. 22, 2024, and Oct. 25, 2025 \u2013 dates of a Swift show and a World Series game, respectively. Two of the paramedics\u2019 deputy chiefs also worked during Swift\u2019s shows and the Blue Jays\u2019 post-season.<\/p>\n While Toronto Police Services is also subject to the request, the Sun has yet to receive any information from them. Under provincial law, that should\u2019ve happened by March.<\/p>\n In a statement, the city\u2019s communications director Russell Baker said an \u201cincident management team\u201d was assembled for every Swift concert and World Series game to co-ordinate government resources with those at the Rogers Centre.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Each one \u201cwas staffed and structured in accordance with established incident management system best practices, including the appointment of an incident commander, to ensure clear leadership, co-ordination and effective decision-making,\u201d Baker wrote.<\/p>\n But an official with one of the four emergency departments suggested the executive-level bureaucrats were enjoying a \u201cVIP\u201d perk while subordinates were left to do actual work. (The Sun has agreed to let this official speak anonymously to protect the person from possible reprisals at City Hall.)<\/p>\n If the city can\u2019t explain exactly why its emergency leaders needed to be inside the Rogers Centre on those days, they were merely working \u201ca seat-warmer position created for an executive to attend a high-profile event,\u201d the official claimed.<\/p>\n The Blue Jays \u2013 which look after operations at the stadium as the primary tenant and, as with the venue, are wholly owned by Rogers \u2013 ignored requests for comment. The Sun has been told Rogers would\u2019ve led any emergency response in its building, but City Hall hasn\u2019t confirmed that.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n While the city executives attended events that were very high profile \u2013 and involved astronomical ticket prices \u2013 it\u2019s unclear that there was anything unusual about emergency preparedness for either the Swift concerts or the World Series. While all those events sold out, that\u2019s ordinary stuff at the Rogers Centre.<\/p>\n Last year, from the All-Star break \u2013 the unofficial halfway mark of the MLB season \u2013 to the end of the regular season, the Jays routinely played to sellout crowds. In that span, the team saw attendance dip below 40,000 in just three games.<\/p>\n The Swift concerts were also not unprecedented in terms of attendance. For example, Toronto singer The Weeknd played four sold-out shows<\/a> at the venue last summer, apparently with none of the city\u2019s emergency bosses at the building.<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Official used app in violation of city hall policy: Complaint<\/p>\n <\/a> Stretch of Church St. could be closed to vehicles this summer<\/p>\n <\/a> LILLEY: Toronto desperately needs change at city hall<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The city told the Sun that the paramedics\u2019 deputy chief of operations, listed in an online directory as Melanie Jordison, was at the Rogers Centre on Nov. 21 and 22, 2024, and Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, 2025. The acting deputy chief of the central ambulance communications centre, Janice Baine, attended on Oct. 19, 2025.<\/p>\n Toronto Fire Services did not clarify if any of its deputy chiefs attended the stadium in 2024 or 2025, and would only say they \u201cwould not have been scheduled to work operational shifts, and any visit would have been to observe operations.\u201d No TFS deputy chiefs were listed in the response to the Sun\u2019s freedom-of-information request.<\/p>\n City Hall did not clarify if the emergency executives would\u2019ve been eligible for overtime or paid duty work.<\/p>\n![\"World](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/world-series-crowd.jpg\")
At least two executive-level City of Toronto emergency officials were working in the Rogers Centre during Game 7 of the World Series on Nov. 1, 2025. Photo by Jack Boland\/Toronto Sun filesArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/21.1.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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Taylor Swift performs in Toronto at Rogers Centre on night four of The Eras Tour in the city on Nov. 21, 2024. Photo by TAS Rights Management<\/p>\n![\"opening](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/21.1.1\/websites\/images\/newsletters\/icon-sun-middaySun.svg\"\/){kind=icon}
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Taylor Swift fans crowd the Rogers Centre on Nov. 14, 2024. The Toronto Sun has confirmed that one senior emergencies official at the City of Toronto was at the venue for work on four of the days when Swift performed in 2024. Photo by Jack Boland\/Toronto Sun files\u2018Seat-warmer\u2019 positions?<\/p>\n![\"Blue](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Ernie-Clement-slide-Nov1.jpg\")
Blue Jays baserunner Ernie Clement slides past Dodgers catcher Will Smith after a double by Andres Gimenez in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game 7 of the World Series in Toronto, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. Toronto SunCity executives attended events with\u00a0astronomical ticket prices<\/p>\n![\"Joanna](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/beaven-desjardins-e1769553409219.jpg\")
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