Explore the unique and strictly enforced laws that have kept the Canadian province of Alberta virtually free of rats for decades.
In 1950, Norway rats were first reported on Alberta's eastern border, prompting the provincial government to establish a rigorous Rat Control Program. This initiative officially declared rats as pests on August 25, 1950, making it a legal obligation for Albertans to remove them from their properties. The program aimed to prevent a resident rat population from establishing, a status the province has largely maintained for over 70 years. Alberta remains the largest inhabited jurisdiction globally to have successfully kept itself virtually free of rats.
To achieve this, a "Rat Control Zone" was established, a 600-kilometre long strip along the Saskatchewan border, which is regularly patrolled. The 1942 Agricultural Pests Act, amended in 1950, empowered the government to mandate pest control and requires every person and municipality to take active measures against rats. Public education and continuous monitoring, including a system for citizens to report suspected sightings, are central to ongoing eradication efforts.
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Correct Answer: Early 1950s
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