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Toronto city council is expected to debate a motion this week that would ask Live Nation Canada to find ways to reduce the sound from Rogers Stadium that travels into nearby communities on concert nights.
Coun. James Pasternak, who represents York Centre, wants the city manager to work with the entertainment company to hire a third-party acoustics engineer or sound expert who would look at the layout of the stadium to identify possible solutions.
Pasternak said ideally the sound would be contained within the stadium, which is an open air music venue operated by Live Nation Canada in Downsview.
The motion, moved by Pasternak and seconded by Coun. Lily Cheng, asks Live Nation Canada to foot the bill for any changes.
“We want to find a balance between the music industry and the million plus people who will go through that stadium this summer and make sure that thrives, but at the same time, respect the complaints that are coming in about the noise amplification,” Pasternak said in an interview Wednesday.
Pasternak said it would take two years for city staff to review the existing noise bylaw to strengthen it and council still would not be able to enforce it to curb the noise at Rogers Stadium.
The councillor added it’s important to remember that how far noise travels and its amplification depends upon a number of factors.
“I can pass all the motions in council I want, but I cannot change cloud cover, wind velocity and wind direction. So I decided on this because it seems to be the most cost-effective and efficient way to deal with this issue,” he said.
Coun. James Pasternak, who represents York Centre, says: ‘I can pass all the motions in council I want, but I cannot change cloud cover, wind velocity and wind direction. So I decided on this because it seems to be the most cost-effective and efficient way to deal with this issue.’ (Paul Borkwood/CBC News)
Concerns come from York Centre, Willowdale, Vaughan
Pasternak wants city staff to work with Live Nation to explore “seasonally installed stationary noise monitoring” where there has been a history of noise complaints.
The councillor also wants city staff to work with Live Nation to explore the idea of a sound barrier berm on the edge of the west Allen East District and any nearby property.
Many residents in York Centre, Willowdale and Vaughan have expressed concerns about noise levels on concert nights, he says.
Rogers Stadium, which opened in June 2025, sits on the north end of the old Downsview Airport runway. It was built by way of temporary zoning permissions. The motion says the venue attracted about 700,000 visitors in 2025 and is expected to attract more than one million visitors in 2026.
According to the motion, the venue has resulted in the hiring of more than 1,000 part-time employees and in economic activity that has benefited local businesses. It has also led to music grants and scholarships to local schools and drawn tourists to the city.
Rogers Stadium, which opened in June 2025, sits on the north end of the old Downsview Airport runway. A motion that goes to council this week says the venue attracted about 700,000 visitors in 2025 and is expected to attract more than one million visitors in 2026. (Jérémie Bergeron/Radio-Canada)
Pasternak said Live Nation put vinyl cladding on the back of the grandstands in the stadium at the start of concert season this year to decrease the amount the sound that travels beyond the venue.
“While some have noticed an improvement, others have not,” he says in the motion.
Sound hasn’t exceeded allowable levels, company says
In a statement on Wednesday, a spokesperson from Live Nation Canada says the company abides by the city’s noise bylaw.
“Rogers Stadium operates under strict sound regulations, with extensive operational oversight in place at every show. We continuously monitor sound levels by covering the cost of Municipal Licensing Officers onsite and in surrounding communities to ensure we remain within permitted limits,” the statement said.
The company says none of its shows this summer have exceeded allowable sound levels.
The statement goes on to say Live Nation is “committed to being a responsible neighbour, working in collaboration with the City, and operating in full compliance with all requirements, while continuing to deliver a positive fan experience.”
Here is an aerial view of Rogers Stadium as spectators watch Coldplay perform on July 7, 2025. (Patrick Morrell/CBC)
Live Nation Canada covers the cost of municipal licensing officers at the site for every show to monitor sound levels at the venue and in the surrounding community, it said. All concerts end by 11 p.m.
‘I think it should be shut down,’ resident says
Local residents, however, say the vinyl cladding isn’t working and the sound continues to disturb them.
Wayne Levin, a Downsview resident who lives east of the stadium, said noise from the concerts can be heard inside his home with the windows closed.
“Whatever efforts they’re putting in there, I’m not really seeing it. We’re not experiencing those benefits through those changes,” Levin said.
“Personally, I think it should be shut down and too bad.”
Vladislav Toronov, a resident who lives about a kilometre from the stadium, said the noise from concerts has interfered with his sleep, including before days he had to get up early for work.
“That is kind of a torture. You don’t want it, but you must hear it.”
