After doing my opinion piece on this utterly hurtful new restaurant sign law directed by the EOHU after getting rubber stamped by council we decided to do our yearly review and it laid out a scary future for the hospitality industry in our region.
While most people get the Green, Yellow, & Red system what they most likely not realize is how this is graded and how one location can get a yellow for one or two minor offenses and another have four or more and still be green?
There isn’t a single eatery I wouldn’t dine at based on this flawed system that will only hurt local business.
Here are some screen caps from the EOHU website showing their exact reports during 2015. You decide if it’s fair or accurate.
The worst offender for 2015 was the Family Corner restaurant with not only multiple yellow cards, but each having more than the average offenses.
In May they were cited for 11 out of 43 food safety standards!
They only had 7 citations in June.
Panda Restaurant was given a yellow with only a single citation. Both are yellow, but certainly both are not equal.
Summer Heights Golf Club, where the cliquey political people love to golf had 5 citations yet still were green.
Does that make any sense to you?
Here, in no special order are eateries that were yellow carded during 2015. Should any of them have to wear a badge on their doors like a fiscal Jewish star during WWII?
Wok Express 2 citations
Wing Hing 2 citations
Truffles
Tiny Table
Thai Express
Sunnyside
Riverside
Rems Tap House
Ramada Inn
Panda Restaurant
Moon
Monkland Mini Mart
Louis
Logan’s Gallery
Kelsey’s
J&T
Joey’s Seafood
Fireside
Denny’s
Cornwall BBQ
Cedars
Burger King 2nd Street
Bobby’s Place
South Stormont had a higher amount of locations get cited by the EOHU
Jimmy’s in Ingleside
La Bella Pizza Ingleside
The Nautica Grill had 11 citations.
O’Neill’s Pub
Quinn’s Inn
The same type of system is used in Toronto. No system that deals with food safety, etc. is perfect or will ever be perfect.
Hugger are you purposely not getting the story?
To me there is no story. So, they are implementing a sign system for restaurants, etc. If you’re saying that certain establishment s get passes just because who they are yes I understand that. But this happens in all aspects of life, not just the restaurant / food industry. As the saying goes whoever has the gold makes the rules. Is it right? Of course not. But changing the golden rule is not easy and rarely succeeds.
Hugger the system implemented is flawed. There are restaurants getting yellow carded for one infraction and others getting green for four. It’s going to confuse the public and hurt local business. It’s pretty simple to see which is why the examples were used. Likewise there is a huge difference between a Yellow card being given for one or two infractions vs 11 as also displayed.
If the public can’t have confidence in any system then it’s pointless. Likewise any system implemented should clearly establish its goal.
This is not the case as this has been rolled out and it’s sadly rife for abuse for political machinations of one sort or another.
I agree with you. However, as I`ve said many times no system is perfect. It also may be the type of yellow infractions issued. This system definitely needs to be fine tuned. Perhaps if you get `X` number of yellow infractions a fine system or different sign has to be displayed. (Hit them on their bottom line, they`ll fix the problem real quick.) Or even better, if you`re yellow carded you must display the health unit report detailing what was found and how \ when corrective action will or has taken place. That way consumers can decide if they want to visit your food establishment. As I`ve said previously any system involving a human inspection factor is open to abuse and or interpretation.
Hugger you don’t roll something out until you’ve proofed it and thought about it. This is almost as bad at the Cornwall Housing AC policy.
Agreed. But how do you `proof` system like this? This is not like a software program where you can test it before hand.
Hugger here is a list of things you do.
Compare what you want to do after reviewing what other communities are doing. For example when we did our story on AC policies we reviewed and contacted Housing authorities in other cities.
Look at any special local challenges.
Consult, in good faith, with stake holders including holding public sessions if necessary.
Look at your goals and sift it all together. Put out a proposed draft and get feedback.
It’s not rocket science and you don’t need to hire consultants when we have management on staff.
Again, look at what some of those working in restaurants are saying. They have huge issues with permits and other corruption like being told where to advertise and where not to advertise. As long as cronyism and corruption is not evaluated how can we move forward as a community?
One restaurant I talked with waited nearly a year and threatened to move to Brockville before they got their permit and it was in a freaking strip mall!
Do we have some big rash of health issues without eateries in Cornwall? Was this a “crisis” issue demanding action?
Jamie you spoke about the Cornwall Housing Authority about their A/C policy and I see what happens in our full market value housing in buildings and townhouses, etc. and we had one of those window A/C’s while in Cornwall in full market rent and the super went and destroyed it and it could have fallen from the window even with the brackets because that numb skull did everything wrong and it was a brand new machine. My husband bought a portable A/C last summer from our super and he puts it where the balcony door is located and I can’t stand A/C so I stay in my bedroom most times.
Here in Ottawa we are not allowed to BBQ on balconies not even condos. It is all regulated by the fire marshall. We bought a tiny electric BBQ that is allowed but no charcoal nor gas allowed. Every municipality has their rules. After seeing what happened in Cornwall where homeowners blasted the siding off their houses with those BBQ’s you cannot blame the insurance companies as well as the fire department and the owners. Not everyone is a responsible tenant and most are what we call UNEBELIEVABLE. After living in Cornwall we saw it all or just about. We have seen garbage being thrown from an upper balcony down and in a good low rise building. We have seen mattresses being thrown from an upper duplex in a not so good area. If I were a landlord I would never rent to such people. Being a landlord is an enormous headache and then some.
Getting back to restaurants like what Hugger said to me before that a lot of restauranteurs die early of all the stress that is involved in the business. There are many regulations that have to be followed and it is easy to be put out of business. When you have employees who steal from you or don’t do your work then it is a hell. My daughter worked for a few fast food places while in Cornwall and she saw the theft going on. There were times that she needed help from staff who didn’t work and one girl had criminal offences on her from before and she literally attacked my daughter physically in the business and it was brought to court but the girl with her charges still continued working and my daughter quit that horrible job – there is no justice in Cornwall Jamie and you know about that deep down.
Just a few brief comments.
What the EOHU did looks very similar to what Toronto'”Dine Safe” is like.
A public session would have been a good idea, with restaurants and other food establishments. But if it had been like any of the other public consultations would anyone attended?
Now, not hiring consultants?? That’s not the Cornwall council way of doing things. (If you can’t tell my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek.)
Cronyism and corruption evaluated? How about eliminating it once and for all??
Red tape must be reduced everywhere.
Has there been an uptick in food poisoning incidents at Cornwall restaurants in recent years?
Portable A/C units are not very efficient compared to window mounted units. We’ve had two portable A/C units due to the locations of the venting windows. They cool a very small area and being closer to the floor do not do a very good job. Thankfully our house has central air. But when we went house hunting one of my “must-haves” was central air.
Most municipalities do not allow charcoal or gas (propane or natural) BBQ’s on balconies. Allowing charcoal or gas (propane or natural) BBQ’s on balconies is just asking for trouble, as some people do not pay attention when the BBQ is doing its job.
I don’t think it’s the regulations that put restaurants out of business. It’s lack of business and / or common sense. Numerous times you see a location that has had numerous failed restaurants. But someone always thinks they can beat the odds. Those previous restaurants failed for a reason. One such reason may be location. Like I said previously the first two years of a restaurant is the critical time. If they can make it over that hump they have a good chance of making it. But running a restaurant is not for everyone.
Not reported.
Jamie,the way this resto review is presented it is difficult to know who gets what grade after inspection…..can you simply make a list of those with good passing grades,then those with yellow tickets ,Lastly ,those with red tickets that should be avoided in order for the corrections to be made.
This way perhaps serious & contagious illnesses could be avoided .
Thanks sue thompson
Ps is there any value in this system for the public to understand the necessity of this grading.?
When will we know that these places are safe to eat
It will contribute to avoidance of some public eateries classified here……
What follow up will be made & when.
What qualifications does an inspector have as this can be detrimental to some restos.
A reply would be appreciated on the aforementioned
Sue these are really good questions you’re asking and it’s Dr. Paul and our City Council that should be answering them. Most people will simply respond to a Yellow or Green card, but are we really safe if we see green and are we at risk if we see a yellow card? Judging by these examples from the EOHU website I think a reasonable person would simply be confused. While many will react to these signs many innocent businesses may get hurt by this silly mess of a system that is being brought out into play.
People keep asking what restaurants have the yellow card. I can tell people that some of the 5 star restaurants and hotels, etc. have their problems with cleanliness, etc. Restaurants here in Ottawa are mostly inspected but even the best have cockroaches as well as bed bugs and rats. I even saw it again today where a hotel in Manhattan (NYC) where people pay $400./night and up have bed bugs. Howard Stern the radio host had an infestation of bed bugs in his limosine. The only way that you know what you are eating and how it is made and how clean or dirty your place is is if you make it yourself. The father and ex husband of my former supervisor in the federal government used to do the A/C’s, refrigeration, etc. at many of Ottawa’s restaurants and I remember her telling us that the finest restaurants had them. I always remember my husband telling me about his mother finding mice in the rice that she had stored in burlap bags along with bugs and that forms if you don’t use that by a certain time. I have seen bugs on dishes and in food at a certain food store back in the 1960’s in Cornwall on Pitt Street where Giant Tiger stands today in its place. I won’t mention the store because some of them may still exist today in some places but they weren’t clean not even here in Ottawa when I used to shop there the odd time. Cornwall has a few good places to eat but they are mighty few and far between. Many of Ottawa’s best restaurants died out many long years ago and they don’t last long like what Hugger said and the owners are under so much stress that many die of heart disease, etc. trying to keep up with the standards and the costs and taxes of running a business is enormous.