The first sign that the strike by Toronto's municipal workers may last a little longer than city officials first predicted came on Thursday when the city announced 19 temporary garbage drop-off locations.

There will be fenced-in zones in parks across the city where residents will be able to drop their trash from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day.

The temporary sites will remain "until the end of the strike," said Geoff Rathbone, who heads the city's solid waste department.

Members of Friends of Christie Pits demonstrate in the park on Thursday. They're angry that the city is planning to turn part of the park into a temporary garbage dump while city workers are on strike. (Lorenda Reddekopp/CBC)

At one of the proposed sites, residents are hopping mad.

Just two days ago Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone told west-end residents that Christie Pits wouldn't be turned into a dump site during this strike.

But when the designated sites were released on Thursday afternoon the outdoor hockey rink at the popular park was designated as one of the drop-off spots.

Monica Gupta, who belongs to the group Friends of Christie Pits, said Thursday the idea isn't a good one.

"We don't want any park to be a dump location. Parks are green space, our only green space in the city, and just adding garbage to that makes it all the worse."

In total there will be 26 sites where people can drop off garbage, including the regular city transfer stations.

City manager Joe Pennachetti cautioned Torontonians to keep their cool. "There may be pickets at the sites," he warned.

So far the city says it has issued 70 tickets for illegal dumping and 500 warnings.

As for the negotiations aimed at ending the strike, Toronto Mayor David Miller would only say "there has been some progress."

About 24,000 city workers are off the job to back their demands for a new contract.

Striking workers include garbage collectors, water and sewage workers, as well as those who work at the city's daycare centres.