Rats outside Ottawa Tim Hortons spur calls for action
Stu Mills | CBC News | Posted: October 13, 2022 8:00 AM | Last Updated: October 14, 2022
'It's like the ground was moving,' says one customer
UPDATE: After this story was published, Tim Hortons provided a statement and said the owner of the franchise confirms there are no pests in the restaurant and the issue remains outside. The statement said the garbage bins do not belong to the Tim Hortons and the owner is working with the landlord to remedy the situation.
When Joe Remollino drove his car into a Tim Hortons drive-thru south of Ottawa's core one morning before sunrise last week, he saw what he estimated to be hundreds of rats, scattering as the headlights of his car fell upon them.
"It's like the ground was moving," said the building maintenance worker. "It was like an anthill, just crazy."
He said he asked the employee at the drive-thru window if there was construction work that might have caused the sudden appearance of so many rats.
"And she said, 'That's normal,'" said Remollino, who returned and shot video of the activity around the window.
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has repeatedly visited the site at 1611 Bank St., near Heron Road. It has issued non-compliance notices about the business's failure to keep the entry free from pests and to clean garbage and food waste from around the exterior.
The drive-thru runs behind the restaurant, a former auto repair garage, alongside a retaining wall of limestone. At the exit point of the lane are garbage bins and large commercial dumpsters used by Tim Hortons and an adjoining Central Bergham restaurant.
Ish Thomas has lived in a multi-unit building next door for the past seven years and said in the last few weeks, he has watched in daylight as rats have dug holes throughout his backyard.
"I'm worried that when it gets cold and starts snowing, they'll start flocking indoors," Thomas said.
WATCH | Concerns about what happens come winter:
Neither Ottawa Public Health nor Ottawa By-law Services agreed to an interview, but in an email the agencies said they were speaking with landlords in the area about a strategy to combat the rats.
Beginning in June, OPH determined the building wasn't secure from pests. It found the same deficiencies last week.
At another neighbouring home, a resident said she was also worried the rodents would try to make their way indoors.
Commuters waiting for the bus at a nearby stop said it was common to see rats emerging from the limestone wall and scurrying along the lane near the dumpsters.
"It's getting out of hand fairly quickly here," said Bill Dowd, founder of Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, after watching the video shot by Remollino.
Dowd said decreasing the population of the colony would require the removal of the den sites and better sanitation around the garbage area, where congealed shortening has pooled on the ground.
Calls to Tim Hortons went unanswered.
The restaurant's parent company, Restaurant Brands International Inc., did not answer questions.