Without immediate support, our city … is facing unprecedented cuts that will hurt the city and every person and every business that the federal and provincial governments have been trying to help … since this pandemic began.

Mayor John Tory, seeking help for Toronto as it faces massive budget shortfall.

Mayor John Tory has outlined a doomsday scenario if other levels of governments don’t step in to save the city financially.

In a message aimed directly at Ottawa and Queen’s Park — which have yet to commit to substantial funding to cover the estimated $1.5-billion shortfall in Toronto this year — Tory laid out what he called “devastating” slashing of TTC, police and library budgets as well as mass layoffs.

“Without immediate support, our city, like many other cities across Canada — in fact, I think without exception cities across Canada — is facing unprecedented cuts that will hurt the city and every person and every business that the federal and provincial governments have been trying to help over the last weeks since this pandemic began,” Tory said.

In calling on those governments to intervene, he then listed, in dramatic fashion, the cuts staff had calculated would be required if help doesn’t come.

The list includes a $575-million reduction to TTC service, which would cut subway service in half on Lines 1 and 2, close the Scarborough RT and Sheppard line, diminish streetcar service to once every 10 to 20 minutes, cut service on major bus routes in half and reduce Wheel-Trans by more than four million rides.

Toronto Fire would also see a $23-million cut and Toronto Police would have to scrap 500 front-line officers, just after their numbers were boosted in this year’s budget.

The reductions would also see 40,625 child-care subsidies disappear, and half of the shelter spaces added for physical distancing closed.

Community services would take an enormous hit: 61 community centres would close, representing a loss of 600,000 hours of recreation programs, as while as library branch closures.

Long-term care would lose 1,320 beds. Toronto Community Housing would cost more for residents paying subsidized rent.

Plans to open additional safe spaces for youth in community hubs to help stem gun violence would not proceed.

And more than19,000 city employees would be laid off.

On top of that, capital infrastructure builds and repairs, including “critical” transit projects, would be reduced by $451 million. Tory did not elaborate on which projects would be on the chopping block.

“I find these cuts completely unacceptable,” the mayor said. “I don’t know how we can contemplate cuts to our services, though, when we are at a time when you, the people of the city of Toronto and people in cities across Canada, need those services the most.”

The city cannot run a deficit to pay for operating expenses.

And raising taxes would be unconscionable, Tory said. Covering a $1.5-billion shortfall would require a 47 per cent residential property tax hike.