Toronto, it looks like you might have a bit of a rat problem.
In a video circulating online, rodents appear to have taken over an empty seating area in midtown Toronto.
“Hi folks,” reads the caption. “Beware that there is an army of rats in front of The Burger[‘s] Priest on Eglinton Ave.”
“What is the city doing about the rats?” asked one Twitter user who posted the video below.
@311Toronto
What is the city doing about the rats?
This is at Yonge and Eglinton @JohnTory #rats pic.twitter.com/C8OvdpRe0Y— Tasha (@TashaBee84) September 5, 2022
The undated video was shot at a normally busy intersection at Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue. The short clip was shot at night and, since the humans were away, it was the perfect time for the rats to come out and play. And play they did, as they were filmed scurrying from under the paving and along the concrete benches.
Residents were understandably shocked and disgusted and are demanding that the city address its pest problems.
One user commented, “This is so disgusting! So much for being a world class city!”
Another stated, “We’re back in the 18th century.”
311 Toronto responded on Twitter, stating, “If there is an identifiable source of the rats, ie: garbage/debris that’s attracting them, Bylaw Enforcement can attend to investigate. We’ll need the address that’s providing the source.”
But one unimpressed user replied, “THE LOCATION IS IDENTIFIED. You can obtain the address within 10 seconds of using Google. @311Toronto, how are you guys so supremely bad at this?”
To fix the problem, others chimed in with suggestions ranging from bringing in cats to terriers.
Not surprisingly, in 2021 Toronto was named the “rattiest” city in Ontario. An honour, indeed.