Alberta (Rural Roots Canada) – Alberta is marking a milestone that few jurisdictions on the planet can claim: 75 consecutive years without a breeding population of rats.
Alberta’s Rat Control Program launched in 1950 after the province first declared the Norway rat a pest when the rodents crossed the Saskatchewan border. The program was a way to keep the rats from spreading disease and damaging infrastructure and agriculture. Armed with new legislation, a dedicated “Rat Control Zone” stretching 600 kilometres along Alberta’s eastern edge, and a network of municipal pest inspectors, the province halted the rats’ advance within three years.
“It’s something that’s been decades of work,” says Alberta Ag Minister RJ Sigurdson. “It’s not a task we take lightly.”
RELATED: Ground Squirrel Population Boom Has Alberta Calling for Return of Strychnine
Alberta’s approach combines strict enforcement, rapid response to rat sightings, and public reporting, which triggers an immediate eradication effort. “The combined efforts that are put into ensuring Alberta remains rat-free are a result of nonstop dedication,” says Sigurdson, adding that while individual rats occasionally arrive aboard vehicles or freight, teams aim to destroy any infestation before it takes hold. “If there is a rat sighting or outbreak, the teams mobilize and have a strategy put together to make sure we prevent the spread and eradicate the problem immediately.”
The program has earned international attention, particularly because Norway rats thrive alongside humans and have spread to nearly every corner of the world. In Alberta, it remains illegal for private citizens to keep any species of rat as a pet.
Every year, Albertans report hundreds of possible rat sightings. Most of the time, it turns out to be something else, like a muskrat, pocket gopher, ground squirrel, bushy‑tailed woodrat, or just a mouse. Still, local and provincial crews check out every single report, just to be sure.
If you spot a rat, you can report it by calling 310-FARM or emailing rats@gov.ab.ca.
