By Matthew Daldalian, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Angela Thomas thought she was stepping out to enjoy the summer weather. Instead, she opened the door underneath her patio to the overwhelming stench of urine and a discovery that would upend the season for her and her family.
“When I saw all the dirt and urine and smell, I just ran out. I couldn’t breathe,” said Thomas, describing the moment she uncovered torn, soiled pillows and a pile of dirt where she once kept her outdoor cushions. Beneath the stairs and underneath the patio, earth had been pushed up against the wall, suggesting something had tunneled in. “It looked like from outside, that it was pulling inside.”
What she was seeing, she would soon learn, was the work of rats burrowing from outside.
The infestation didn’t just destroy furniture. Clothes Thomas had collected to donate were ruined, soaked with urine and thrown out. “I couldn’t even put it inside in my washing machine to clean. I had to throw them away.”
Infestation
Thomas is far from alone. Across Parc-Extension, residents have reported increased sightings of rats in their yards, alleys, and even on sidewalks in broad daylight — a sign, one district councillor says, of a severe infestation.
“Every Monday, Tuesday… I get calls regarding the rats every week, nonstop,” said Parc-Extension councillor Mary Deros. “People want to go out in the back, in the front to plant, and they’re amongst rats. They’re afraid to do their BBQ. They’re afraid to let their kids go out.”
Deros, who visited Thomas’ property after she raised concerns, relayed the resident’s frustration at bearing the financial cost alone.
The situation, Deros believes, is partly due to poor enforcement around waste disposal and insufficient education on how to properly store and separate garbage.
The city had put up signs reminding residents not to leave garbage on the doors of residential complexes at certain times, but Deros criticized the move, saying they’ve had little impact. “Nobody stops to read them,” she said, adding that the signage may not be accessible or prominent enough to deter bad habits.
Extermination
The borough’s aging infrastructure and fluctuating waste policies haven’t helped. George Stappas, the longtime owner of S-D Exterminating Services Inc., said broken pipes, open garbage bins, and a three-year municipal pause on certain outdoor rat poison allowed infestations to spiral out of control.
Though the city has partially reversed the ban on some poisons in 2023—calling it a necessary response to a growing public health issue—Stappas said it’s not enough to reverse years of uncontrolled breeding.
Angela Thomas’ son, Jimmy Thomas, assessing the damage caused by the rats burrowing under the home’s patio on June 11 2025
“They haven’t died for three years,” Stappas said. “Usually, we have everything under control… but now [the rats] are three years in advance.”
He pointed to simple measures residents can take to protect their homes: backwater valves to block rats from entering via sewer lines, and smoke tests to check for pipe openings.
The Borough’s Response
In response to the growing issue, the borough said it has taken multiple steps to contain the problem. A spokesperson for Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension said the borough acts “as quickly as possible to try to eliminate the presence of rats,” using exterminators, traps, sewer maintenance, and awareness campaigns tailored to specific problem zones.
Since April 1, borough officials have carried out six “cleanliness blitzes” in high-risk sectors, including the Parc-Extension district. These involve a special patrol that inspects streets every two weeks, handing out fines to those who leave garbage out at improper times.
Officials have also focused efforts on Place de la Gare-Jean-Talon, where improperly discarded food has attracted rodents. Signs have been installed throughout the square, and contracted exterminators have placed traps across the area. The borough also said local partners like Maxi are helping maintain nearby green spaces.
The borough received 67 rat-related complaints between January 1 and June 11 of this year. While no single cause is identified, they cited construction activity, aging sewer lines, and nearby rail yards as possible triggers.
To prevent future outbreaks, property owners have been asked to inspect their private sewer systems for damage.
Neighbourhood Rat Party
Still, the problem isn’t just in the pipes. Thomas pointed to abandoned renovation materials and improperly stored garbage from nearby properties that have yet to be cleaned up. “You walk and you’re gonna see it. There’s no people to clean it,” she said.
Even when residents do their part—storing food scraps in fridges and securing garbage bins—rats continue to run yard-to-yard. “They’re having a party. It’s not just one. Three, four, five during the day—running,” said Thomas. She said she’s shared videos of the animals darting across lawns in broad daylight.
Parc-Extension resident Angela Thomas says rats are running amok in her area during an interview outside her home on June 11 2025.
Thomas and her family have begun reinforcing their patio with mesh and wooden material, sealing every gap they can find. But it’s a makeshift solution to a neighbourhood-wide issue.
With no sign the rats are going away soon, residents may be left to defend their homes one trap, one patch, one cleanup at a time.