Mayor John Tory is telling Torontonians to toughen up after social media lit up with reports of a strong manure smell throughout the southern end of the city Thursday.

The odour was the result of an annual program that sees sports fields fertilized.

“I hope we haven’t become so softened up that a good old fashioned farm smell is causing people to wilt,” Tory told reporters on Friday. “I’d be embarrassed if we’ve become that soft in the city of Toronto.”

City of Toronto staff said in a memo they used organic fertilizer, which commonly contains animal waste, on fields and turf areas in parks in order to cut down on the use of pesticide.

“Any odours are temporary as they will become less noticeable and eventually dissipate in a few days,” the memo said.

Tory said that on Thursday, parks staff fertilized areas in most parks spanning throughout the southern part of the city, spanning from Parkdale to the Beaches.

Complaints came in steady on Twitter:

“They are fertilized using the same old material that has been used to fertilize for centuries,” Tory said.

Parks and Recreation department spokesperson Jane Arbour told CP24 that the fertilization program for sports fields in Toronto and East York began on Tuesday and ends Friday.

This fertilizer application is typically done in the fall in City sports fields, and is intended to promote soil health and strengthen the turf coming out of the summer season.

She said Toronto’s fertilizer is made from decomposed chicken manure, and “been certified and approved for organic food production.”