Garbage collection in Montreal’s Hochelaga-Maisonneuve causing rat problems

Residents of Montreal’s Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood say a rat problem has been getting worse since the city stopped picking up garbage every week.

Around restaurants, food waste piles up on the street, and there is a petition calling for the city to step in.

Residents say the mountain of garbage out back provides the rats with all the food they need.

“We see them in the laneway, they come on the balcony. We have to close our doors and windows – we can’t live,” says resident Isabella Goyette.

Goyette says the situation has gotten worse since the borough moved to biweekly garbage pickup. She says there aren’t enough bins, and people rip open the bags looking for cans and bottles.

“Nothing can be worse than that,” she says.

Even on days not dedicated to garbage collection, black bags line the streets and frustrate residents.

Martin Deschenes says he’s fed up.

“People just put them out, they’re not respecting the rules. It needs to be collected weekly or [the city must] rethink that whole thing.”

Residents have started a petition calling on the city to address the issue and help local businesses, like restaurants, that produce a lot of food waste.

Manidner Sing, the owner of the Pizza Pizza at the intersection of Ontario and Joliette streets, says the space behind his restaurant has become a dumping ground for the neighbourhood.

He says the city could use “big bins” or alternate places to store trash.

The borough says inspectors routinely give out warnings and fines to residents who leave their garbage on the street and are encouraging people to compost more.

According to the city, rats have a much harder time getting inside the brown compost bins.

Exterminator Daniel Desmarais agrees but says it doesn’t take long for a rat problem to get out of control.

“Rats can have six to 12 babies five to 10 times a year. So, you give them the chance to feed and to reproduce,” he said.

With the hot summer months around the corner, residents are concerned the problem is about to get a lot worse if nothing is done.