A daycare at the centre of an E. coli outbreak at several daycares is seen in Calgary on Sept. 15.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Calgary police are investigating the company at the centre of a huge pediatric E. coli outbreak, which was separately charged under municipal bylaws Wednesday for operating without a business licence, adding to a litany of public-health concerns regarding food safety at daycares in the province.
Also on Wednesday, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Mark Joffe, revealed that meatloaf and its vegan counterpart, served on Aug. 29, are the suspected sources of the outbreak. At the same press conference, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a panel to review food safety in kitchen-serving daycares.
Dr. Joffe said investigators were unable to test samples of the meals because they were either eaten or discarded but, through the examination of more than 50 other food and drink samples, interviews and food histories, it was determined to have “extremely high odds” of being the bacterial culprit.
There are currently 351 confirmed cases of E. coli in the Calgary area, primarily among children, and 37 secondary cases. At its height, more than 20 children were admitted to hospital with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can damage organs. Four children remain in hospital with serious complications, said Dr. Joffe, who confirmed that the investigation by Alberta Health Services is continuing.
Later in the day, the Calgary Police Service said in a statement that its child-abuse unit is working with AHS to “determine if there is a criminal element” to the outbreak, but did not provide any additional details.
Meanwhile, the City of Calgary said Fueling Minds, which operates the catering kitchen believed to be ground zero for the outbreak, and its two directors, Anil Karim and Faisal Alimohd, are facing 12 charges and could be fined up to $120,000 if convicted.
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The city press release said Fueling Minds was required to have a business licence to provide third-party food services to five daycares it does not own.
The municipality said it began investigating Fueling Minds when the outbreak was declared on Sept. 4 and was tipped off that the company was providing services outside its scope of business. The province governs commercial daycare centres and their food-service operations. However, a business licence from the city must be obtained to provide catering services.
It has been more than a month since the outbreak was declared at six Fueling Brains Academy daycares in Calgary and five other sites. Fueling Brains shares the same directors as Fueling Minds.
Fueling Minds has been cited for numerous public-health infractions by inspectors since July, 2021. The most recent inspection, conducted on Sept. 5, found cockroaches, the smell of sewer gas and other safety violations. In April, an inspection found “severely stained” sanitizer wiping cloths and a damaged stand mixer that could physically contaminate food.
In a statement sent to The Globe and Mail, Fueling Minds management said it could not comment on the bylaw infractions because it is an active legal proceeding. It said it is working with Alberta Health Services on the investigation.
“Today’s update from AHS indicated the exact source of the infections has not been identified,” the statement said. “The well-being of the community and our staff remains our priority. When AHS notified us of the infections on Sept. 4, we promptly stopped our catering operations and service.”
A second class-action lawsuit was filed on Wednesday on behalf of families affected by the outbreak, claiming “all parties entrusted with the health and welfare” of children fell short of their responsibilities.
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The first class action was filed on Sept. 8 against all of the daycares involved in the initial outbreak, alleging negligence.
Katie Hopkins, whose two daughters tested positive for E. coli, said her frustrations continue to grow and she is skeptical that a government-run panel will build back her trust. Ms. Hopkins added that the charges, while welcomed, raise questions again on oversight of Fueling Minds from AHS.
“I may have lost trust in our daycare but I can confidently say I’ve lost more trust in our government and AHS from the situation,” she said. “So, I am very skeptical in the sense of, are we actually going to see things change and ensure that this never happens again to any others?”
The Premier said the consequences of not obtaining a business licence are severe and she hopes that other facilities are ensuring their full compliance. Ms. Smith said the panel will begin its work soon to ultimately provide recommendations on prevention.
“The panel will be examining all aspects of this tragic situation, large and small, as well as taking a full broader look at the legislation and regulations that govern food safety in our province,” she said.
“While we wait for this important work to be completed, we will not hesitate to make changes if they’re needed when they’re needed. Our goal is to develop a system that is stronger and safer,” she added.
Health Minister Adriana LaGrange and Children and Family Services Minister Searle Turton will work alongside the panel, led by former Calgary police chief Rick Hanson. It will also include up to six other members who are parents, licensed daycare and food-service operators, and public-health experts, according to the province.
Ms. Smith also said the portal to apply for “compassionate payments” of $2,000 a child enrolled in the affected daycares opened on Monday. So far, she said 775 applications have been received.
Diana Batten, Alberta New Democratic Party critic for child care and children and family services, said she is worried that the panel will be biased and not transparent. The NDP has been calling for an independent public inquiry into the outbreak to restore public trust in Alberta’s child-care system.
She said learning of the likely source of the outbreak might provide parents some comfort but there remain more questions than answers as to how Fueling Minds was able to continue operations.
“It’s a piece of the puzzle,” she said. “That’s great, but by no means does this make families feel comfortable sending their kids to daycare.”