East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Kylia White and her husband Kelly O’Neill have never seen a spring like this in 25 years.
"It's just been a month of, I want to say, hell," says White.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
Over the past couple of months, dozens of rats have taken over their property, destroying everything in sight.
"Thousands of dollars of property is being destroyed, like thousands," says White.
Her $5,000 hot tub is now filled with holes where rats tunnelled through it. Her entire deck had to be dismantled and is now ready for the junkyard. Their vehicle’s engine is crawling with rats at all hours of the day.
"When I start it, they start dropping out. I'm running them over every time I move my car," says O’Neill.
"When I opened up the hood of my husband's vehicle, I noticed that they jumped out of there," adds White.
Monday was no different. As they opened the hood, a rat was sitting right on the engine block then ran under the vehicle.
White says she has tried multiple times to contact bylaw for help, with little to no luck.
"Children are here, animals are here. It's a health issue. It's a safety issue," White says.
The city said in a statement to CTV News that it is investigating the rat problem at this address.
"I think we actually have to have a rat hotline essentially, that's how bad it's become and it's only getting worse," said Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney. "And that's not just because of LRT. It's because of building construction in general. We’re building faster and taller than ever before and my ward is feeling it."
The couple says they are seeing about 20-30 rats per night scurry across their property, multiplying faster than anyone can keep up.
"You know, I don't know what else to do. I've done everything I could possibly do. At my own expense," says White.
CTV News tried contacting the management team in charge of these apartments, but did not receive a response.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Scotiabank suffers direct deposit outage on pay day
Scotiabank has acknowledged technical difficulties affecting direct deposits as clients report missed payments Friday morning. On Friday morning, the bank's client services phone line was playing an automated message assuring customers that work was underway to rectify the outage.
Canada Soccer head investigating 'systemic ethical shortcoming' amid spying scandal
Canada Soccer chief executive officer Kevin Blue said he was investigating a potential 'systemic ethical shortcoming' within the program but has not considered pulling the women's soccer team from the Paris Olympics due to a drone spying scandal.
Suspected train sabotage, bad weather dampen spirits ahead of Paris opening ceremony
The Paris Olympics are getting off to a rough start, with suspected acts of sabotage targeting France's flagship high-speed rail network.
Elon Musk's estranged daughter calls out his 'entirely fake' claims about her childhood
Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk's estranged daughter, publicly refuted several recent anti-trans statements her Tesla CEO and X owner father has made about her.
'She led it the whole way': 18-year-old B.C. woman leads hikers to safety in Jasper National Park
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.
'Catastrophic' situation 'cannot continue': Open letter from Trudeau, other PMs calling for Gaza ceasefire
Prime ministers of Canada, New Zealand and Australia released a letter renewing calls for an “urgent ceasefire” in Gaza on Friday morning.
Arson attacks cause chaos before start of Olympics in Paris, thwarting athletes' travel
Arsonists attacked the French high-speed rail network early Friday, paralyzing travel to Paris from across the rest of France and Europe for some 800,000 people, including Olympic athletes heading to the grand opening ceremony of the Games in the evening.
Saskatchewan First Nation lifts 17-year long water advisory
After 17 years, residents of Star Blanket Cree Nation can breathe a sigh of relief when turning on their taps.
Latest updates on wildfires in Jasper National Park: Rain, cooler weather limiting spread
Cool and wet weather is making a difference in Jasper National Park.