The Dupont and Christie neighbourhood will be without a Loblaws for the foreseeable future after city health officials shuttered the store Monday night for “heavy” vermin infestation.
The store “will remain closed until further notice,” said a statement released last night by Loblaw Companies Ltd., the store’s parent company. “Rigorous steps are being taken to thoroughly complete the action items requested by Toronto Public Health.”
On Monday, a health inspector discovered an infestation of mice and rats, including droppings in food preparation areas, at the store at 650 Dupont St.
Inspectors re-examined the supermarket yesterday afternoon at the company’s request, but “more work needs to be done,” said Jim Chan, manager of food safety for Toronto Public Health.
“It’s a bad one,” Chan said of the food safety violations yesterday. “It’s a serious infestation.”
The company also faces three bylaw charges that could draw fines of up to $25,000 each, Chan said.
