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Construction workers are busy at work at BMO Field in Toronto these days. This stadium will be hosting six World Cup games next year and the stadium must be brought up to the standards demanded by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

Those who support the idea of Toronto hosting World Cup games point to the economic impact for the city. FIFA claims the games will result in a $3.8 billion impact for Canada. And this includes a positive economic input that includes labour income of $460 million.

Which brings us back to the ongoing construction at BMO Field. A man identifying himself as a construction worker on the BMO renovation project recently reached out to Rebel News via our Tips Line. Here’s what he stated: “I'm working on BMO field in Toronto. The company doing the work is bussing illegal Mexicans in to take jobs from Canadians. This was supposed to provide Canadians with jobs and now vans of these Mexicans are coming in.”

And so it was that we paid a visit to this site to see if this is indeed a matter of fact. And if so, what would be the reason for illegal aliens taking jobs from taxpaying Canadian citizens?

But another question arises: perhaps the use of foreign workers is no big deal whatsoever – at least according to the federal government.

Case in point: last month, Lena Metlege Diab, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, issued a media release headlined: “Temporary public policy to exempt select FIFA-invited foreign nationals from work authorization requirements.”

There were all kinds of platitudes in the release along the lines of the 2026 World Cup being a historic event for Canadian soccer, etc., etc.

But missing from the release was the reason WHY foreign nationals are being exempted from the rules when it comes to taking jobs that could be filled by Canadians.

At face value, this seems outrageous. But it is also a continuation of a trend. As previously reported by Rebel News, the Stellantis battery plant in Windsor, Ont., is employing about 1,600 Korean nationals at the expense of Canadian workers. Keep in mind that Windsor currently has an 11.2% unemployment rate.

Also of note, in a report released in March by the City of Toronto regarding the economic impact of the World Cup, the city stated that the tournament “Represents a considerable opportunity for Toronto to bolster its economic landscape, enhance social cohesion, and celebrate cultural diversity.”

Thus, we are left to ponder if a component of so-called “cultural diversity” is making sure foreign nationals receive taxpayer-funded jobs that could – and should – employ Canadians. This is nothing short of egregious given that Canadian taxpayers are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars for this tournament.

Rebel News reached out to the City of Toronto for clarity regarding what percentage of the workforce at BMO Field is comprised of foreign workers.

We received a statement from Geneviève Sharkey, the city’s Chief Procurement Officer: It reads in part:

“The City of Toronto’s renovation work at BMO Field is being carried out by Arena Construction, which is responsible for all project hiring and subcontracting. Arena engages specialized subcontractors based on expertise and project requirements. All contractors and subcontractors working on City-funded components are vetted by the City’s Fair Wage Office and must comply with the City’s Fair Wage Policy and labour-related collective agreement obligations.

“The City’s procurement requirements, including the Fair Wage Policy, do not require contractors to disclose workers’ personal immigration or citizenship information. Contractor obligations focus on compliance with labour standards, workplace safety and wage requirements, as outlined in the City’s procurement policies.”

So, there you have it. The crux of the matter is that the City of Toronto does not seem to take issue with the personal immigration or citizenship information of workers that are employed on taxpayer-funded projects.

Then again, perhaps this should come as no surprise. After all, for more than a decade, Toronto has existed as a sanctuary city. This means that illegal aliens are entitled to a vast array of city-funded programs, ranging from healthcare and housing to emergency aid. As well, city employees are told to follow a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy when it comes to the immigration status of clients. And apparently, this sanctuary city philosophy has extended to undocumented workers now receiving well-paying city jobs at the expense of citizens, a.k.a., taxpayers.

Talk about offside!