Toronto's proposed rat attack plan faces 1st hurdle

A Toronto municipal committee is set to look over a newly-proposed rat control plan on Wednesday.  

Last month, city manager Paul Johnson unveiled his response to the city's growing rat problem — laying out a plan that pushes disparate city departments to work together and focuses on eliminating food and shelter for the rodents, rather than on exterminating them. 

"Efforts to 'eliminate' rats often result in reactive, short term fixes that miss the root causes. High-quality municipal service delivery is more impactful," says the plan, which came about after councillors requested it last year amid rising complaints from residents. 

"We're building more and construction shakes the ground, rats are released into neighbourhoods, and we need to figure out how to get ahead of it," said Davenport Coun. Alejandra Bravo at the time. 

If the economic and community development committee gives the green light, Johnson's plan will next go to city council for a final decision, before possibly being implemented next year. 

Rats on the rise

Toronto residents and business have always had to do battle with rat infestations — with some sharing unpleasant photo evidence along the way — but there are clear signs the problem has been growing in recent years. 

In 2019, there were 940 property standards-related rodent service requests to the city. After a brief dip during the pandemic, those numbers had surged to 1,600 by 2023. 

A study early this year also tracked a growing rat population in Toronto and 10 other cities around the world, with the authors linking the population boom to climate change and calling for a "dedicated response team" in the besieged municipalities. 

A key part of the city's new rat response plan is the creation of a team that coordinates between the many city divisions that deal with rats — from parks and construction to municipal licensing and standards. 

Johnson says that will come at an initial cost of $351,000, in order to hire two new people. He's also asking council to pony up $150,000 annually to pay for "public communication and staff training related to rat management." 

The city's plan would also involve advising both private developers and Metrolinx-led transit projects on how to stop rats from moving into neighbouring properties when they're displaced by construction. 

Looping Metrolinx into the city's approach is something Toronto—Danforth Coun. Paula Fletcher has been vocal about. She said she's been hearing complaints from her constituents about rats showing up in areas near the Ontario Line construction. 

The city's proposed plan notes that it can't add rat-related conditions to either Metrolinx applications or private building permit applications, but says proactive advising "is an effective way to prevent infestations."