Social media posts appear to show Toronto's police and fire chiefs arm in arm in a private box before Game 1 of the 2025 World Series, despite the fact their representatives have yet to confirm which recent high-profile dates the men worked at the Rogers Centre.
While city officials have not provided specifics about the duties and days worked by TFS Chief Jim Jessop and TPS Chief Myron Demkiw at the venue during big-ticket events, photos posted on X show them together during the World Series opener. The Toronto Sun, after a freedom-of-information request, confirmed that executive-level employees with Toronto Paramedics Services and the city's emergency management division worked at the Rogers Centre during the World Series and Taylor Swift's 2024 concert series, but at no other point in the last two years.
Unanswered Questions
Toronto Police Services and Toronto Fire Services have yet to confirm which of their executive-level staff were at the baseball venue and on which dates. TFS in an emailed statement said Chief Jessop was at the stadium but argued that his duties and those of his deputy chiefs fall outside the Sun's freedom-of-information request. TFS added it does not have a specific list of dates that Jessop was at the venue, although one had been requested months earlier. Toronto Fire has ignored subsequent requests for clarification, including about the presence of deputy chiefs.
Toronto Police, meanwhile, have not responded to either the freedom-of-information request or a list of related questions. Under provincial law, TPS was required to respond by March. However, Chief Myron Demkiw's presence at the Rogers Centre during the Swift shows and World Series is no secret. In a post on X, the Toronto Police Service showed Demkiw meeting concertgoers before the first Swift concert in November 2024.
Social Media Evidence
Posts on X appear to show Demkiw meeting concertgoers on Nov. 14, 2024, and arm in arm with Jessop on Oct. 24, 2025. A video posted before Game 6 on Oct. 31, 2025, shows Demkiw in several rooms of the stadium, including a private box with prepared food on the counter. Judging by the view of the field, photos of Demkiw with Jessop appear to have been taken from the balcony seating of that private box.
Sources familiar with emergency responders' operations at the Rogers Centre told the Sun that Jessop was in a private box during some of the dates in question, at times alongside Joanna Beaven-Desjardins, the city's emergency management boss. City Hall has confirmed that Beaven-Desjardins attended the stadium on the dates of four Swift concerts and games 6 and 7 of the World Series.
Ethical Concerns
The Blue Jays, which manage the stadium as the primary tenant and are owned by Rogers, have ignored repeated requests for comment. The City of Toronto has declined to answer most questions about why emergency response executives were at the Rogers Centre, whether such an arrangement would break any rules, and if those executives would be eligible for paid duty or overtime. Instead, representatives emphasized that the city follows the Incident Management System for large events, which says a single incident commander should handle operations, potentially from a remote location. It is unclear who served as incident commander during the Swift concerts or World Series, or which emergency executives are eligible for that role.
If neither municipal employees nor City Hall paid for the food, drinks, or venue access, that could violate ethical obligations for public service members. Interestingly, Jessop sent a memo about the city's public service bylaw on Dec. 2, 2025, a month after the World Series. While TFS did not confirm the memo's existence, a copy leaked to the Sun states city staff may not accept gifts or benefits that could influence or appear to influence their duties. Toronto Police were also asked about potential conflicts of interest, including compensation for special services at the events, such as a motorcade for Swift that briefly closed the Gardiner Expressway. The Sun has yet to receive a response.
