Toronto City Council’s Executive Committee advanced several major infrastructure and public-safety files, including a $577 million citywide LED street light conversion, new motorized watercraft exclusion zones at select beaches, and next steps on FIFA World Cup 2026 planning. The committee also voted to prioritize the Scarborough East rapid transit project. On FanFest, councillors challenged staff over a proposed $10 general admission ticket after the city publicly described the event as “free and inclusive,” and the committee directed staff to create a free general admission ticket category.

Topics Discussed

LED Street Light Conversion – $577 Million Infrastructure Investment

The committee approved an agreement to proceed with a comprehensive LED conversion of Toronto’s street lighting system, including repairs to underground infrastructure. Toronto Hydro’s interim chief operating officer Dan Smart said the fixtures being procured have “a 10-year warranty,” adding that with “about 15,000 of these lights already out in the city,” Toronto Hydro has seen “only experienced 60 failures or approximately 60 failures so far.”

Staff also addressed concerns about overly harsh LED lighting used in other jurisdictions, noting that earlier installations elsewhere were “that really bright 4,000 5,000 Kelvin harsh lighting,” while Toronto’s plan is “in the 3,000 Kelvin range,” closer to typical indoor lighting.

Councillor Holiday raised reliability and service concerns, pointing to nuisance failures: “One thing a light bulb goes out, it’s another thing to have it strobing in a very annoying way,” and urged program managers to consider whether those cases should receive “an elevated priority.”

Urban planning student Kar Shenoski argued the conversion is also a city-building decision, saying, “Toronto is a city with so much potential, but most of the stuff that we build here isn’t very beautiful,” and urged council to treat the project as an opportunity to improve how streets look.

Waterfront Safety and Motorized Watercraft Exclusion Zones

The committee approved a personal watercraft safety plan that establishes motorized watercraft exclusion zones at Hanlan’s Point Beach, Humber Bay Park East, and Woodbine Beach (extending toward RC Harris). Delegations framed the issue as both ecological protection and safety for swimmers and non-motorized users.

Jerry Berman told the committee Humber Bay “harbors sensitive flora and fauna,” and argued motorized watercraft can cause “wake erosion, fuel contamination, and acoustic disruption.” He urged action before conditions change, saying, “Toronto protects what it values. This community is asking the city to value Humber Bay before the window to do so closes.”

Enforcement capacity was also discussed. A Toronto Police Marine Unit representative said they could not dedicate a vessel to each zone daily, but added: “we will be at all the exclusion zones and doing the enforcement and education piece. I can guarantee you that.”

Cherry Beach and the Outer Harbour area were not included in the initial approval and were held for a future report back.

FIFA World Cup 2026 FanFest Ticketing Controversy

The committee debated staff’s proposal to charge $10 for general admission to FIFA FanFest at Fort York, alongside corporate/VIP ticketing. Councillor Josh Matlo focused on the gap between public messaging and the proposed ticket model, saying: “I don’t understand the disparity between a city press release going out announcing this event as nothing but a free and inclusive event for the public,” while corporate tickets were also being sold.

Matlo also tied the issue to the public cost of hosting, saying the city had described FanFest as “free and inclusive,” while Toronto taxpayers are paying “$178 million at least now.”

Staff defended ticketing as a crowd-management and safety tool, warning that if attendance exceeds capacity, “you have 10,000 very angry people in and around that area… you’re going to have a gigantic mess in your hand.”

The committee ultimately directed staff to create a free general admission ticket category while maintaining other access streams.

Scarborough East Rapid Transit Priority

The committee approved prioritizing the Scarborough East rapid transit project and endorsed a name change to reflect the route. Councillor Shen argued the project is overdue given Scarborough’s scale and growth: “Scarborough is 25% of the population, one-third of city of Toronto’s land mass,” and said the University of Toronto Scarborough campus “doesn’t have a rapid transit option right now,” calling that “long overdue.”

Public Realm and City Beautification Initiatives

Under the “Towards a Beautiful City” work, the committee heard calls to prioritize quality and durability in public design. Joel Leon Denise of the Toronto Society of Architects said, “Best value in our built environment is not about lowest cost but about highest quality and what will last the longest.”

The committee also discussed cleanliness and maintenance issues. Deputy Mayor Cole said, “We just can’t continue to walk by piles of garbage… abandoned cars… [and] graffiti smeared walls all over the city.” On waste diversion, staff reported: “The contamination rate in parks recycling bins exceeds 50%. And that material is sent to landfill.”

Motions

Passed: - Item 4: Property Tax Clawback Rate Report
- Item 7: FIFA World Cup Toronto Mobility Plan
- Item 8: Service Excellence Dashboard for Parks, Recreation, and Transportation
- Item 1: LED Street Light Conversion Agreement ($577 million)
- Item 2: Personal Watercraft Safety Plan (exclusion zones at Hanlan’s Point Beach, Humber Bay Park East, and Woodbine Beach)
- Item EX 30.3: Towards a Beautiful City initiative
- Item EX 30.9: Service Standard Dashboard Update
- Item EX 30.10: Protecting Migratory Birds at Metro Toronto and City-Owned Buildings
- Item EX 30.12: Liquor Licensing Changes (as amended by Councillor Bravo)
- Item 6: FIFA World Cup Fireworks Bylaw Exemptions
- Item 11/13: Scarborough East Rapid Transit Priority and Name Change
- Motion directing staff to create a free general admission ticket category for FIFA FanFest

Deferred/Held: - Cherry Beach/Outer Harbor exclusion zone (report back by May 6th)

Attendees

• Mayor Olivia Chow
• Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik
• Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (referenced)
• Deputy Mayor Morley (Etobicoke)
• Councillor Shelley Carroll
• Councillor Paula Fletcher
• Councillor Josh Matlo
• Councillor Gord Perks
• Councillor Amber Morley
• Councillor Bravo
• Councillor Holiday
• Councillor Shen