Health officials have closed a Foothills County restaurant after several people reported feeling ill after eating there last week.
The news came on the same day Saskatoon Farm had voluntarily closed for a day. The team said on social media it was taking Wednesday, July 23 to “regroup.”
Alberta Health Services (AHS) has since ordered the immediate closure of the venue’s food service facilities, including the restaurant, bakery, and Red House.
The closure will remain in place until conclusive results are returned from testing facilities.
On Tuesday, the business said it had learned of “unprecedented changes” to its water quality and that several people were left with flu-like symptoms after eating at the establishment on July 15 and 16.
AHS says it is investigating 88 reports of illness and two recent hospitalizations potentially connected to the location.
Co-owner Seann Hamer tells CityNews they suspect the recent heavy rain is to blame for a drop in the restaurant’s water quality.
He explains significant precipitation forced groundwater into the cisterns where water is trucked in for the restaurant.
Health officials have yet to determine an official cause.
Hamer says when staff learned of the problem on July 17, actions were immediately taken to switch to an alternative water source that was deemed satisfactory by AHS. As an added precaution, the restaurant says it has only been serving canned and bottled beverages, including water, and using bagged ice since it learned of the issue.
“We are fully cooperating with AHS and are taking all necessary actions to address the situation and work toward a safe reopening in accordance with their directives,” Saskatoon Farm said in a social media post. “We will continue to keep our patrons informed as we receive further updates from AHS.”
A ‘Fiesta Friday’ event on Friday, July 25, has been cancelled as a result, the business says.
The ‘Wellness Immersion Event’ is still scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 26, but there will be no food service. Complimentary canned beverages will be available for attendees throughout the evening.
The farm’s saskatoon berry u-pick will also be open this weekend.
During the closure, Saskatoon Farm’s main front office, gift store, including the Buffalo Room, and the farmer’s market stand will remain open.
It says the water that is used to rinse the produce at the farm is non-potable, and has been tested and approved by AHS as a satisfactory water source. Saskatoon Farm says that per public health guidelines, all produce should be washed thoroughly at home before eating.