Toronto takes one step toward plan to tackle growing rat population

As Toronto grapples with a rat infestation, City Hall is co-ordinating a response to curb the population growth. Beth Macdonell has the details.

Toronto is one step closer to launching a plan to tackle its growing rat population after being adopted during Wednesday’s municipal committee meeting.

City Manager Paul Johnson released the city’s “Rat Response Plan” last month, following a motion last year by Coun. Alejandra Bravo and Deputy Mayor Amber Morley to address what the pair described at the time as the “increasing challenge” of large rat populations in Toronto.

The plan, reviewed and approved by the Economic and Community Development Committee on Wednesday, would launch in 2026 and include, among other things, the creation of a “Rat Response” coordination team, responsible for supporting the improved coordination of rat management across the city.

The plan will go before city council for a vote later this month.

Also included is a proposed requirement for contractors to prevent and manage rat infestations at city-led construction sites when they’re displaced into neighbuoring properties. Private construction sites, as well as Metrolinx-led projects, would also be advised on how to implement proper pest management and reduce the impact of rats.

In a letter published last month, Coun. Paula Fletcher said she’s heard from Toronto-Danforth residents near the Ontario Line construction about “rodent infestations” in and around their homes following the project’s start.

“Currently, the pest control process is largely reactive and difficult for residents to access. As the city explores a comprehensive rat management strategy, it is imperative that Metrolinx-led transit projects align with these standards and adopt a preventative approach,” she wrote at the time.

The city’s plan would cost up to $351,000 to hire two people to implement it, as well as $150,000 for public communication and staff training.

“We need to have a coordination function across city divisions dealing with this pest problem, which is actually a health and mental health threat, and you know it affects quality of life in such a fundamental way,” Bravo said Wednesday.

“The second thing is an enforcement table, that’s coordinated as well, to make sure that, for example, bylaw officers are investigating quickly and resolving building standards problems or if there’s a public health problem.”

Rat-related complaints have more than doubled

The report notes that rats in Toronto are not a public health issue, as there is no evidence of disease transmission linked to rats in Toronto, and the rodents should be treated “as a nuisance.”

“However, they can still pose health risks in food establishments and may contribute to mental health impacts for residents dealing with infestations,” the report read.

According to the city, there is no reliable method to estimate the number of rats in any city, so municipalities rely on service request or complaints about rodents to inform their pest management strategy.

However, from 2015 to 2024, city data shows that the number of rodent-related complaints climbed from 1,165 to 2,523.

As well, a 12-year report released earlier this year found that Toronto has seen a significant increase to its rat population, ranking third among the 16 cities studied, with warming temperatures, growing urban centres, and ongoing construction projects listed as contributing factors.