Do you think the city of Montreal has a rat problem?
The official opposition at city hall thinks so and it's tabling a motion at the council meeting later this month calling on the Plante administration to do more to control the critters.
Ensemble Montreal leader Lionel Perez said that ever since a video about rats in NDG circulated on social media, they've been getting more and more complaints about the rodents. They found that the city receives about a thousand complaints a year and according to experts,
"They tell us that for every complaint there's two or even more," Perez told CJAD 800.
"It obviously affects the quality of life, it's a nuisance for individuals, they're also transmitting diseases."
Among their solutions: possibly banning plastic garbage bags; using covered garbage bins at residences and in public places; only putting out garbage on the morning of trash collection and not allowing garbage to be left on the curb overnight; maybe even mass extermination of rats if public safety is at risk.
"I think it's something that has to be looked at," said Perez.
Another solution: rat control measures near roadwork.
"Whenever we do excavation and we deal with sewer repairs, and everybody knows we're doing tons of those in Montreal, it gives them an opening to get out of their habitat," said Perez.
A city spokesperson tells CJAD 800 that it's not a situation that requires an action plan for now but they'll remain vigilant with the current preventive measures in place near roadwork and sewer work sites.