Speakers Corner: Weston Village neighbourhood dealing with rat infestation

If you live in a city like Toronto, you’ve no doubt seen a rat or two. But, residents in one neighbourhood are dealing with what they call a rat infestation.

They say several newly installed flower beds, meant to beautify the main section of Toronto’s Weston Village have done anything but. Several rats have burrowed in the boxes and according to residents, they’re spreading fast.

Randy Faulds has called the village near the intersection of Weston Road and Lawrence Avenue West home for decades. “I like the natural setting. The Humber River is nearby, there are bike trails.”

But lately, he said the rat problem is becoming intolerable.

“When I first noticed them, the rats were mainly near the flower beds,” he said. “But now they’re everywhere.”

It didn’t take CityNews cameras long to see the problem, which is at its worst at dusk. Several rats start coming out of multiple burrowing holes in the flower beds and flood onto the streets.

“People come and feed pigeons on the corner so there is plenty of food for them when they come out,” Faulds said. “That’s also part of the problem.”

“I’m very worried walking with my kids,” said Justin Rochester, who also lives in the area. “This should be a health issue.”

Faulds has been sounding the alarm for months.

“They’re just getting worse and now there are dozens of them coming out of the ground,” said Faulds. “They’re spreading down from the corner and something has to be done to stop that.”

He has reached out, multiple times, to his city councillor, Frances Nunziata, but claims her office has not responded.

One group that has been responsive is the Weston Village Business Improvement Area.

CityNews spoke with a representative—who did not want to be named—but claims they are working to address the issue.

They’re currently working to hire pest control companies and figure out a way to deal with the problem. But, with a limited budget, they would like more help from the city.

CityNews also reached out to Councillor Nunziata’s office multiple times but did not hear back.

At Toronto Public Health, a spokesperson did not specifically address the issue in Weston Village, but said, “From time to time, rodent populations tend to increase in areas across the city where they are able to find harbourage, food and water.”

“Noise and vibration from construction projects can also upset rodent habitats and displace populations,” read a statement from a Toronto Public Health spokesperson.

The person with the Village’s B.I.A. said there was a road construction project done at Weston and Lawrence over the past two years. While they suspect that may have caused a surge in the rat population, nobody is certain for sure.

Regardless, Faulds and other residents say the problem has been left for months without a solution.

“If this situation was in a posher area of the city, I believe immediate action would be taken,” Faulds said. “Things here are just left to simmer … I raised a family here. I have friends here and I want to be able to stay and be proud to live here.”

If you have an issue, story or question you’d like us to look into, Speak out here.