A new heritage plaque now sits in the downtown core to commemorate a Toronto raccoon who captured the hearts of the city and the internet just over a decade ago.
The plaque, located at Church and Yonge streets, honours Conrad the Racoon, whose death in 2015 sparked reaction online after his body laid on the sidewalk for 14 hours before being removed by Toronto Animal Services.
To mark the 10th anniversary of his passing, Heritage Toronto is celebrating Conrad’s life and impact on the city with the established plaque.
The sensational racoon, known for the hashtag #DeadRacoonTO, prompted passersby to create a makeshift memorial around his lifeless body, leaving a donation box, candles, flowers, and other mementos at the site.
Photos of the growing tribute were shared on social media, turning the raccoon into a symbol of the city’s quirky charm and nature.
“On the morning of July 9, 2015, the body of a raccoon was found on the sidewalk near 819 Yonge Street. Nicknamed Conrad, the raccoon became a social media sensation, and a makeshift memorial on the site grew. Eventually, Toronto Animal Services removed Conrad, leaving the collection of offerings behind,” Heritage Toronto said on its website.
The raccoon’s plaque features photos of the animal and the tweets that fueled the viral reaction, raccoon paw imprints, educational content, fun facts about the critters who inhabit the city, and a QR code “2 pay respects” and garner engagement.
Racoons – called esibanag in Anishinaabemowin – the language spoken by the Missisaugas of the Credit First Nation, are native to North America. The animals are known for their adaptiveness, nocturnal nature, and ability to live in a wide range of climates and habitats.
“Over time, raccoons have adapted extremely well to city life, finding ways to thrive despite attempts to keep them away. Raccoons are typically active at night. In cities, they prefer to live in plentiful attics, sheds, and other human-made structures instead of their natural homes in hollow tree trunks,” the heritage plaque reads.
In addition, the plaque says approximately more than 50,000 raccoons live in Toronto, citing their resourcefulness, resilience, and “cheeky personalities” which have contributed to their “reputation as the unofficial mascots of Toronto.”
Meanwhile, some people online offered their thoughts on Conrad’s plaque, along with memories of the masked critter.
“Can’t believe it’s already been 10 years… feels like just yesterday we were all leaving flowers and half-eaten hotdogs for our fallen trash panda hero,” one Reddit user commented.
“So that means it was 10 years ago today I became obsessed with raccoons. That’s what sparked it, and I’ve loved them ever since. How has it been a decade?” another user said.
Others offered their condolences to the viral animal.
“Fly high little trash panda <3” one Reddit user commented.
“Rest in peace in that heavenly dumpster Conrad…” another user said.
An online book of condolences can be found on the Heritage Toronto website, allowing members of the community to leave their own messages.