Toronto may have to cancel transit, repair projects without more COVID relief cash: Tory

The proposed residential property tax increase would be the largest under Mayor John Tory since he was first elected. Mark McAlister reports on some of the reasons being offered while still in the pandemic.

Without more money from the federal and provincial governments, the City of Toronto may have to cancel more than $300 million in planned transit and repair projects in 2022 — a daunting prospect Mayor John Tory stressed would affect thousands of jobs and impact Canada’s entire economy.

While acknowledging that Toronto received more than $2.8 billion in COVID-19 relief funding from the other levels of government over the last two years, Tory said the pandemic has continued longer than expected and the municipality needs more help to plug a massive 2022 budget hole.

Tory said the City’s 2022 budget contains a $1.4-billion “COVID impact” with most of the shortfall coming as a result of lost TTC revenue from low pandemic ridership.

On top of the money already received from the Trudeau and Ford governments, Tory stressed that the City found over $1.1 billion in savings over the last two years, and is slated to save another $500 million more this year. But he said it’s still not enough to keep the country’s “economic engine” from stalling.

The grim-faced mayor said the budget committee is considering a note from City staff on Friday that outlines the potential ramifications of the lack of funds.


RELATED: Toronto proposing 4.4% property tax hike as part of 2022 COVID budget


“The City would have to first cancel $300 million in planned capital projects in 2022,” Tory said.

“This would be spread across a variety of capital budgets, but would have an impact on TTC work, transportation services, parks, forestry and recreation state of good repair projects.

“Second, the City would have to pause more than $1 billion in capital funding that would go to state-of-good-repair projects. This would have a devastating impact on the work we are doing to invest in infrastructure.”

Tory said combined, those two outcomes would affect around 12,600 jobs.

“These are consequences I have shared with the other governments in a series of discussions on this matter over some period of time,” he said.

Tory said Toronto needs a timely commitment for more help “to protect essential frontline services and capital projects that create jobs.”

“We need to come to a resolution together as soon as possible,” he said.

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