'Filthy' conditions close city restaurants

One of Winnipeg's most popular restaurants is among eight closed in the past year due to health violations.

The CBC's I-Team has obtained results of environmental health inspections conducted earlier this year. Inspectors shut down the Marigold Chinese restaurant on King Street on February 20 after finding what it called filthy conditions.

Inspectors found tubs of raw chicken sitting uncovered and unrefrigerated in a hallway. Drawers, cupboards and floors were filthy with grease, food particles and dirt.

The manager and owners were fined $5,000.

• INDEPTH: Read the inspection reports (PDF file)

There are more than 4,000 places that serve food in Winnipeg and officials with the city and province inspect them all at least once a year. Almost all get a clean bill of health, but between January 1 and the middle of October, inspectors shut down eight restaurants on the spot.

For some, the situations were out of the owners' control, such as a sewage backup, but others were described at filthy.

Brian Rivet is the program coordinator for Winnipeg's environmental health services and says sometimes restaurants are closed immediately.

"As a last-case scenario, if we walk in and the premises is not fit to operate, then we're going to close them, right on the spot," he says.

Other restaurants closed this year include the China Garden on Pembina Avenue. It was was closed in May for a number of infractions, including an extremely dirty kitchen, unclean knives and chicken at room temperature.

Good Earth Chop Suey House on Portage Avenue was closed last month when inspectors found signs of a mouse infestation.

While the Rib Shack on Pembina wasn't closed when it was inspected in May, officials found uninspected meat on the premises and it received a warning. Inspectors say the meat was from a Hutterite colony. They instructed the owner to pour bleach on the meat and dispose of it.

Otherwise, inspectors found the Rib Shack to be very clean and the food handling good. No one at the Rib Shack wanted to comment on the warning.

Mike Leblanc is the province's regional supervisor for Environmental Health Services and says the meat served in restaurants must be government-inspected.

"We know that some places do serve uninspected meat. It is relatively rare," he says. "Usually we will give a warning on the first occasion and we'll throw it out and then if we find it again, we will be charging them."

All the restaurants that were closed down were re-opened within hours or by the next day.

Inspectors say all were quick to clean up and fix their problems.