The Roadside raccoon memorial plaque on Christie Street, created in August 2024 by the Toronto Sign Reimagination Unit (TSRU), pays homage to a heartfelt tribute left for a fallen raccoon. In the summer of 2024, a local resident, moved by the sight of the unmoved critter whose fate long outlasted any civic response, created a makeshift memorial complete with a framed photo and a handwritten sign reading, “Nature took you before the city did.”

TSRU’s plaque immortalizes this impromptu act of urban compassion, celebrating not only Toronto’s unofficial mascot—the resourceful raccoon—but also the city’s unmatched talent for bureaucratic delays. The plaque is a nod to urban wildlife and the creativity of residents who find unexpected ways to honor the creatures that share their city.