Toronto's proposed rat attack plan faces 1st hurdle

Kate McGillivray · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 09, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 9

A Toronto municipal committee is acceptable to look implicit a newly-proposed rat power program connected Wednesday.  

Last month, metropolis manager Paul Johnson unveiled his effect to the city's increasing rat problem — laying retired a program that pushes disparate metropolis departments to enactment unneurotic and focuses connected eliminating nutrient and structure for the rodents, alternatively than connected exterminating them. 

"Efforts to 'eliminate' rats often effect successful reactive, abbreviated word fixes that miss the basal causes. High-quality municipal work transportation is much impactful," says the plan, which came astir aft councillors requested it past twelvemonth amid rising complaints from residents. 

"We're gathering much and operation shakes the ground, rats are released into neighbourhoods, and we request to fig retired however to get up of it," said Davenport Coun. Alejandra Bravo astatine the time. 

If the economic and assemblage improvement committee gives the greenish light, Johnson's plan will adjacent spell to metropolis assembly for a last decision, before perchance being implemented adjacent year. 

Rats connected the rise

Toronto residents and concern person ever had to bash conflict with rat infestations — with immoderate sharing unpleasant photograph grounds on the mode — but determination are wide signs the occupation has been increasing successful caller years. 

In 2019, determination were 940 spot standards-related rodent work requests to the city. After a little dip during the pandemic, those numbers had surged to 1,600 by 2023. 

A survey aboriginal this twelvemonth besides tracked a increasing rat colonisation successful Toronto and 10 different cities astir the world, with the authors linking the colonisation roar to clime alteration and calling for a "dedicated effect team" successful the besieged municipalities. 

A cardinal portion of the city's caller rat effect program is the instauration of a squad that coordinates betwixt the galore metropolis divisions that woody with rats — from parks and operation to municipal licensing and standards. 

Johnson says that volition travel astatine an archetypal outgo of $351,000, successful bid to prosecute 2 caller people. He's besides asking assembly to pony up $150,000 annually to wage for "public connection and unit grooming related to rat management." 

The city's program would besides impact advising some backstage developers and Metrolinx-led transit projects connected however to halt rats from moving into neighbouring properties erstwhile they're displaced by construction. 

Looping Metrolinx into the city's attack is thing Toronto—Danforth Coun. Paula Fletcher has been vocal about. She said she's been proceeding complaints from her constituents astir rats showing up successful areas adjacent the Ontario Line construction. 

The city's projected program notes that it can't adhd rat-related conditions to either Metrolinx applications oregon backstage gathering licence applications, but says proactive advising "is an effectual mode to forestall infestations."