The Cheesestring mascot is terrorizing a Toronto neighbourhood

Doorbell cams are great for catching porch pirates, plant thieves and more serious criminals in the act, but they can also reveal some of the absurd shenanigans that happen on Toronto's streets, such as a giant cheese string that has apparently been taunting people at random.

A resident of the Earlscourt neighbourhood was in for a bit of a shock when doing a cursory check of their front door camera footage this week, as it showed the terrifying yet jolly yellow figure — who appears to be the Black Diamond Cheesestring mascot — approaching their home and performing a little dance on their front porch.

"Anyone else around Dufferin and St. Clair see this creature at their door?" the individual asked in a post sharing the clip to hyperlocal social media site, NextDoor, on Monday.

Is that a giant cheese string?

— Queen of the Buoys (@izziemackloud) June 21, 2023

The bizarre video is so far eliciting quite a few laughs from others in the area, some of whom are now vowing to get a video doorbell of their own in the hopes of spotting the character, and some of whom are calling it "funny but creepy too."

One person said that they actually witnessed the same costumed prankster on a nearby street on Friday afternoon.

"[They were] with a bunch of early twenty-year-olds. They didn’t seem to be up to much other than walking up the street in small gang hopping into a white van," they commented.

Still, some are wondering if the video was just a stunt from the homeowner to get clicks, or perhaps a new candidate announcing a last-minute bid for mayor.

Whoever they are, citizens may want to be on the lookout for a surprise appearance on a stoop near them.

This almost made me pull the trigger on getting a doorbell camera tbh.

— Stacy King (@stacyking) June 21, 2023

The cheesy getup looks to be an official piece made for the Canadian dairy company by a custom mascot costumer Loonie Times, based in Mississauga.