Post by kelvin on Oct 11, 2008 16:51:14 GMT -5
Wednesday October 8, 2008
-image from CityNews
Video & Story:
www.citynews.ca/news/news_27760.aspx
Another video feed showing rat climbing up the window side:
www.citynews.ca/news/news_27765.aspx/
It's one of Toronto's most popular Chinese restaurants, but on Wednesday those walking by Happy Seven were given plenty of reason to feel sad - and scared.
Despite passing a health inspection just days earlier, the Chinatown establishment and fixture of the Spadina strip was home to a least three rats, running free inside the dining room for customers - and CityNews cameras to see.
Happy Seven management wouldn't speak to CityNews on camera, but Toronto Public Health was notified and promised an investigation. Should their people find any proof of rodent infestation the restaurant would be closed immediately.
"If you find rodents walking around the kitchen with rodent droppings possibly contaminating cooking surfaces that is an immediate potential health threat and we would shut a restaurant down," promised TPH Chair John Filion.
But that's not an option Filion and his crew has. They scoured the restaurant late Wednesday afternoon and reportedly found no evidence of a rat infestation, meaning they have no authority to shut the place down even after watching our video evidence.
"No rat droppings, no problem whatsoever with compliance with public health standards," Filion told Andrea Piunno Wednesday night. "It's kind of a mystery."
And until that mystery is solved with the official discovery of some vermin on the premises, the restaurant and countless business around it remain open to the public.
Of course in the big city the threat of rats, mice and issues of general cleanliness lurk around every corner.
If you see a health code violation in any restaurant, you can report it to Toronto Public Health.
www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/10/09/spadina-restaurant.html
Toronto public health officers have ordered the closure of a Chinatown restaurant after rats were seen scampering in the window on Spadina Avenue.
The images were captured by a passerby and quickly made their way onto the internet.
The Happy Seven Restaurant was not open at the time and attempts by CBC News to reach the owner have not been successful.
Shockingly, one of the images posted on the internet captures the image of rat alongside one of the city's public health signs showing the restaurant had passed an inspection on Oct. 2.
In July, members of the Chinatown Business Improvement Area (CBIA) took steps to try and eliminate the infestation problem in the neighbourhood.
Business owners were worried that their area, hugely popular with tourists, was suffering from an image problem — including rats.
For years, people at the fruit stands, grocery stores and restaurants that give the shops on and around Spadina Avenue such character have heard complaints about dirty streets, rotting garbage and bad smells.
Owners have taken steps to clean up the image: every night garbage is put into bins and bags with the cardboard boxes neatly folded and left out for pickup. Every night, many of the merchants hose down the sidewalks.
But Stephen Chan, chair of the CBIA, has said in the past that there's no getting around it — where there's food, there are rats.
"Chinatown is actually not that dirty. It's a high-traffic area. I feel we're being identified as not clean in this area," said Chan.
Another complaint voiced by many restaurant owners is the lack of garbage collection by the city.
They say having garbage picked up only twice a week isn't enough.
In July, a pest control company was hired to install rat traps in Chinatown's back alleys.
-image from CityNews
Video & Story:
www.citynews.ca/news/news_27760.aspx
Another video feed showing rat climbing up the window side:
www.citynews.ca/news/news_27765.aspx/
It's one of Toronto's most popular Chinese restaurants, but on Wednesday those walking by Happy Seven were given plenty of reason to feel sad - and scared.
Despite passing a health inspection just days earlier, the Chinatown establishment and fixture of the Spadina strip was home to a least three rats, running free inside the dining room for customers - and CityNews cameras to see.
Happy Seven management wouldn't speak to CityNews on camera, but Toronto Public Health was notified and promised an investigation. Should their people find any proof of rodent infestation the restaurant would be closed immediately.
"If you find rodents walking around the kitchen with rodent droppings possibly contaminating cooking surfaces that is an immediate potential health threat and we would shut a restaurant down," promised TPH Chair John Filion.
But that's not an option Filion and his crew has. They scoured the restaurant late Wednesday afternoon and reportedly found no evidence of a rat infestation, meaning they have no authority to shut the place down even after watching our video evidence.
"No rat droppings, no problem whatsoever with compliance with public health standards," Filion told Andrea Piunno Wednesday night. "It's kind of a mystery."
And until that mystery is solved with the official discovery of some vermin on the premises, the restaurant and countless business around it remain open to the public.
Of course in the big city the threat of rats, mice and issues of general cleanliness lurk around every corner.
If you see a health code violation in any restaurant, you can report it to Toronto Public Health.
www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/10/09/spadina-restaurant.html
Toronto public health officers have ordered the closure of a Chinatown restaurant after rats were seen scampering in the window on Spadina Avenue.
The images were captured by a passerby and quickly made their way onto the internet.
The Happy Seven Restaurant was not open at the time and attempts by CBC News to reach the owner have not been successful.
Shockingly, one of the images posted on the internet captures the image of rat alongside one of the city's public health signs showing the restaurant had passed an inspection on Oct. 2.
In July, members of the Chinatown Business Improvement Area (CBIA) took steps to try and eliminate the infestation problem in the neighbourhood.
Business owners were worried that their area, hugely popular with tourists, was suffering from an image problem — including rats.
For years, people at the fruit stands, grocery stores and restaurants that give the shops on and around Spadina Avenue such character have heard complaints about dirty streets, rotting garbage and bad smells.
Owners have taken steps to clean up the image: every night garbage is put into bins and bags with the cardboard boxes neatly folded and left out for pickup. Every night, many of the merchants hose down the sidewalks.
But Stephen Chan, chair of the CBIA, has said in the past that there's no getting around it — where there's food, there are rats.
"Chinatown is actually not that dirty. It's a high-traffic area. I feel we're being identified as not clean in this area," said Chan.
Another complaint voiced by many restaurant owners is the lack of garbage collection by the city.
They say having garbage picked up only twice a week isn't enough.
In July, a pest control company was hired to install rat traps in Chinatown's back alleys.