Last month, Toronto residents had to endure a
very unpleasant smell. During the morning rush hour, pedestrians had to cover their noses as they walked to their destination. City officials confirmed that the odour came from a dead animal near Union Station, but the stench was even smelled on Highway 427.
On Wednesday morning, yet again, the smell returned, but this time reaching the noses of many across the Greater Toronto Area. The “manure” smell, which many describe it as, reached parts of Oakville, Ajax, Pickering, North York and the downtown core.
CP24 reports that city officials have not identified the source of the smell and a spokesperson for Toronto Water did not have information. “I know we investigated the last time and, I mean, we tracked all the sewers, we did everything that we would do, there was no answer,” said Chery San Juan.
The spokesperson speculated, though, that it could be the winds from across Lake Ontario or it could be a problem related to agriculture, according to the
Canadian Press.
Some thought it could have been a natural gas leak at about 9 a.m. on Dundas Street East, but Captain of Toronto firefighters, Adrian Ratushniak, said it couldn’t have been the source, reports the
Toronto Star.
“I think natural gas would dissipate and it wouldn’t go that far…even half a block away I think would be a stretch,” said Ratushniak. “It would have to be a really sizable leak but again, people mostly recognize the smell of natural gas and I can’t see how they would relate it to a manure smell.”
In some parts of the city, such as Leaside, there is no foul odour.
Tweeters went to
Twitter and posted some interesting and comical tweets:
“What is that smell in #Toronto?
http://ow.ly/4Shzd The rotting remains of the #CPC campaign tactics.”
“so apparently that sh*t i took in the morning made all of #torontosmell like sh*t.”
“Will someone please close the gates to hell? No one's supposed to know it's in #Toronto.”
“Thought I stepped in something getting off the streetcar lol.”
“A hipster cookout on Queen West.”
So, what is that smell?
