In Alberta, there are no rats.
The Norway rat appeared in Alberta in 1950. The rats are not only agricultural pests, eating and spoiling stores of grain, but can also transmit disease to humans. Alberta began an active rat-control programme in 1952 and, on September 15, 1953, a professional exterminator hired to rat-proof the province declared Alberta rat-free. Unfortunately, the announcement was premature as several more colonies were discovered along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. Today, Alberta's "Rat Patrol" continues to monitor the province. It is still illegal for anyone, except research institutions with appropriate permits, to import or possess live rats in Alberta.