Ten years have passed since the famous dead Toronto raccoon incident, where the little critter and its shrine stole our hearts.
It was on July 9, 2015, at the corner of Church and Yonge when the little dude, affectionately named Conrad, met his untimely death and became an instant icon in the city’s lore.
It took a whole 14 hours before the City’s animal services came and scooped up the raccoon’s lifeless body — and in that time, the internet, the city, and others around the world celebrated his trash panda life and mourned its untimely end.
The whole saga started when the City was alerted via Twitter (it was still Twitter back then) that Conrad had met his maker. But as the day passed, poor Conrad’s carcass continued to melt in the hot July sun as mourners stopped to pay their respects.
The sidewalk memorial is growing, @311Toronto. H/T @jasonwagar. #DeadRaccoonTO pic.twitter.com/3vTUf9xB7b
— Norm Kelly (@norm) July 10, 2015
Locals mobilized and started to build Conrad a makeshift shrine — complete with flowers, cards, and a framed picture — and the hashtag #DeadRacoonTO was born, plus his own account.
Mourners quickly made the pilgrimage to Conrad’s final resting spot as the day progressed, shaming the City via Twitter on its slow response time.
People are still lighting candles for me!!! Thank u people. #DeadRaccoonTO pic.twitter.com/XBMbzOz4Jg
— DeadRaccoonTO (@DeadRaccoonTO) July 10, 2015
Residents left handwritten messages, snapped pictures of the shrine, and of course, shared them on Twitter.
As the night overtook the raccoon’s resting place, a donation box and candles were added to the shrine, and before long, Conrad was scooped up by the City, leaving behind his earthly possessions.
Never forget @norm @DeadRaccoonTO #DeadRaccoonTO pic.twitter.com/tsLuw7IWdD
— The Evil Beat (@DudeImFromTexas) October 11, 2015
That was 10 years ago, and little Conrad, we have never forgotten you.
He has since inspired countless stories, pieces of art, social posts, t-shirts, Halloween costumes and even a famed butter sculpture at the CNE.
Here’s hoping you’re chewing on some hot garbage in Big Rock Candy Mountain, and remember, all raccoons go to heaven.
