Residents of Kanata, Ontario, are grappling with a distressing rat infestation wreaking havoc on their row houses, causing fear, frustration, and displacement. Ana Cojuhari, one tenant, describes her nights filled with sleeplessness, unable to rest due to the unsettling screeches of the rats scurrying within the walls of her home. “It was just insane. It's just impossible, it was so loud,” she shared, highlighting the traumatic environment she has endured.
From the outset of July, Cojuhari and her neighbors noticed the problem escalate when rats infiltrated one of the four units of their row house. The critters didn’t restrict themselves to hidden corners but brazenly played on the lawn, leaving destruction and decay in their wake. Cojuhari recounted recording videos of nearly ten rats invading her seven-year-old son’s backyard toys, leading her to endure extensive damage to her property as well.
The stench permeated her unit, with Cojuhari likening it to the smell of death. Facing the relentless intrusion, she finally made the difficult decision to leave her home last month to seek refuge with friends. "At this point, I had to [say], let's save myself, save my kid, and we had to leave the house,” she emphasized, reflecting on the drastic measures she took for her family's safety.
The infestation is not just her tale; it has forced her former neighbor, Heba Wasfy, to also find temporary shelter—returning to the United Arab Emirates—due to the unbearable conditions. “It's like a nightmare or it's like a horror film, believe me,” Wasfy commented, echoing the sentiment of many affected residents. Even from 10,000 kilometers away, she still feels the impact. Having installed five cameras to monitor her property, she experiences torment as she can still hear the rats screeching through her surveillance feed.
Residents, desperate for assistance, reported the infestation to the city’s authorities multiple times. “We called 311, we called the city, we called the fire department. We called everyone!” Wasfy recalled, noting the lack of urgent action from officials. Although Ottawa’s bylaw department confirmed receipt of complaints, the process to resolve the infestation has been slow.
According to Roger Chapman, the director of the property standards department, inspections led to Property Standards Orders requiring the unit's owner to conduct pest control and make suitable repairs. Originally, the owner was slated to comply by the end of September. Yet, mere days before the deadline, they appealed the order, extending the deadline to October 11.
Meanwhile, the residents of the other three units, hopeful for assistance, found themselves compelled to hire pest control companies at their own expense to mitigate the encroaching problem. Kim Hallarn, still living in one of the units, reported having spent nearly $3,000 to deal with the infestation. Exhibiting the toll it has taken, she led reporters through her home, showing the lengths she went to fend off the rats—traps set up strategically inside and outside her residence, vent cages installed, and insulation removed due to contamination from rodent droppings.
“There still is a cost I will incur because we had to remove all insulation due to the feces and urine and burrowed holes. Now I have to replace it,” Hallarn explained, clearly distressed not only by the financial burden but also the emotional fallout of the harrowing situation. Having caught six rats so far—each spanning approximately 40 centimeters—she feels frustrated with the entire scenario, stating, “I know I didn’t bring the rats to my home.”
Bill Dowd, CEO of Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, weighed in on the wider issue, citing a significant surge in Ottawa’s rodent population over recent years. He estimates the number of rats and mice has swelled by nearly 15 percent yearly across major Canadian cities. This surge coincides with the seasonal shift toward fall, marking what Dowd calls “rodent season.” Homeowners, he cautioned, should be proactive, as these pests breed every three weeks, resulting in litters of six to fourteen. “That rat running across your kitchen table is going to be urinating and defecatin constantly,” Dowd warned, outlining the real health hazards posed by such infestations.
The plight of Kanata residents, firmly rooted amid the chaos of unchecked rat hoards, is emblematic of broader urban issues struggling against pest control regulations and neighborhood security. Amid everything, fear continues to loom as there remains uncertainty surrounding the city’s proposed actions and how residents can reclaim their homes from invaders.
The overall situation has pushed the tenants to feel abandoned, prompting public outcry. The urgency of the problem has continued to escalate, yet the necessary municipal responses remain decidedly slow, leaving the community feeling vulnerable and alone. The question remains: how much longer must the residents endure these challenging circumstances before effective aid arrives?
