“I’ve heard from a number of my residents, they’re all dealing with rats. This is impacting their lives. It’s a public health issue, and we really do need to see some action on this,” said Coun. Hadleigh McAlister. Members of the Community and Protective Services (CAPS) Committee unanimously recommended that Civic Administration expedite its review of the Property Standards Bylaw regarding conditions that enable rat infestations and recommend changes to enforcement by the end of June. Several councillors said constituents are complaining to them about rat sightings in neighoburhoods across the city. The public has pointed their finger at a variety of potential causes including vacant buildings, less frequent garbage collection since green bins were introduced, and underground roadwork disturbing the sewer system. Coun. Sam Trosow said London doesn’t have to repeat research already done in other cities, including Toronto. He emphasized that the current by-law is likely sufficient to prevent infestations, so staff’s recommendations should focus on compliance and enforcement. McAlister warned, “Rats breed very quickly, and if we don’t get a handle on this right now, it’s going to get worse and it’s going to impact a whole city.” Council will make a final decision March 31.
