Thousands of tourists made the trip to Toronto to see the brightly coloured floats and marchers in the Pride parade, but they were also greeted with the eyesore garbage collecting on the street due to the city workers strike. 

The strike, which includes city-run daycare workers and garbage collectors will enter its second week on Monday.

Leilania Mroczkowski had come all the way from Syracuse, N.Y., for the festivities, but was bewildered by the sight of overflowing garbage bins.

Decked out in a rainbow coloured kerchief, and huddled under the gay pride flag, Mroczkowski said she wasn't impressed by some of the tourist attractions.

"People are just dumping it next to trash cans or anywhere, it's kind of gross," said Mroczkowski.

Some striking city workers picketed on Yonge Street, where garbage was left on the ground by parade-goers.

The city told CP24 Friday that it would use non-unionized workers and a contractor it already works with to clean up the garbage left over at the parade.

Pride organizers agreed to not hire private clean-up crews, but volunteers were scouring the route before the parade, trying to clean up.

There were no reports of any confrontations at the pickets.

By many, Toronto is considered a clean city, free of the worst kinds of grime, garbage and dirt common in most major cities.

But that's not how visitors saw the city on Sunday.

"I think looking at the rubbish I can say it's not so clean," said Rui Olieveira, a visitor from Brazil who was in the Toronto to see the parade.

Organizers of the Pride Parade agreed not to hire any private cleanup crews for the event, but the city had assured people that contract crews would be on site to sweep away any debris.

Vince Savoni was also an out-of-towner who came into the city to see the parade. The Windsor resident said he has some experience with the messy situation.

"If it goes as long as Windsor has it will be a big problem, especially in a big city like Toronto," said Savoni, who added the frustration is mounting in Windsor as a similar strike enters its 12th week.

--With files from the Canadian Press