Heritage Toronto has unveiled the plaque at the corner of Church and Yonge Streets, paying tribute to “Conrad the Raccoon.” In 2015, Conrad became an unexpected symbol of urban wildlife after his body was left on a downtown sidewalk for more than 14 hours. As passersby created a spontaneous shrine of flowers, notes, and candles, the hashtag #DeadRaccoonTO took off, drawing international attention.

The new plaque blends humour with education. It features images of viral tweets from the time, raccoon paw prints, and information about the city’s long history with raccoons. There’s even a QR code that invites visitors to leave digital condolences, a first for Heritage Toronto.

Meg Sutton, the plaques coordinator at Heritage Toronto, confirmed the installation is official. While the current version is made of acrylic and designed to engage the public during its temporary display, it will later be replaced by a more permanent porcelain and enamel version with a bronze backing. That final version will not include the QR code due to maintenance concerns.

“We wanted to lean into the interactivity that originally made this story so impactful,” Sutton told CTV News. “Everyone in Toronto has a raccoon story, and this one started with a single tweet.”

So far, over 200 people have scanned the QR code, and 435 have visited the plaque’s online tribute page.

Most Heritage Toronto plaques are suggested by public nomination, with about 30 to 40 added annually. But the organisation also curates a few each year, and for 2025, the team agreed that marking a decade since Conrad’s viral fame was a fitting choice. The plaque also aims to shed light on raccoons’ place in Toronto’s urban ecosystem.

“Our curated plaques vary in subject, but this one stands out,” Sutton said. “Yes, it honours a viral moment, but it also informs people about raccoons, which are practically Toronto’s unofficial mascot.”

The public response has already been enthusiastic.

“Toronto has such a fond and funny relationship with these creatures,” said Sutton. “It’s wonderful to see people engaging with history in a way that’s playful. Sometimes we just need a little joy.”