Rats caught on tape eating at Kitsilano Natural Foods

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The operator of a Kitsilano grocery store has been ordered to provide rat-proof food-storage bins and improve pest-control measures after rats were spotted during closing hours crawling over loose food and vegetables inside the store.

Vancouver city inspectors and environmental health officers from Vancouver Coastal Health went to Kitsilano Natural Foods store, at 2696 West Broadway, Tuesday, after reviewing a video and a number of photographs taken by a pedestrian passing the store late Saturday evening.

Vancouver resident Matt Johnson said his attention was attracted by a movement in the window of the store, which had closed for the night. When he looked through the glass he was startled to see four rats clambering over food and snacking on various grocery items stored on racks.

“They were eating bread — one of them had got into a bag — and veggies. It was pretty bad,” he said.

See the video here.

Source: The Vancouver Sun, Oct. 5, 2011. Story: Gerry Bellett. Photograph: Arlen Redkop

Kitsilano Natural Foods, 2696 West Broadway, 604-738-0326.

Last modified: October 6, 2011

4 Responses to " Rats caught on tape eating at Kitsilano Natural Foods "

  1. Mimo says:

    You can not tell me that this is the only type of violation to be found in this place – and that it is a new problem. The place looks filthy. I can’t imagine a Health Inspector going in there and not wanting to shut the place down on sight.

  2. Bill Barilko says:

    Well if it’s any help they did hose down the sidewalk the day after this hit the news (!)

    Seriously I’m not at all surprised-management in that place is a joke and the cashiers are arrogant/ignorant & apathetic.

    They both laughed when someone tried to bring a dog on a leash into the store and wouldn’t believe me when I told them it was against health regulations.

    I’m sure there’ll be a token cleanup and after a few months the place will slide back into the old routine.

  3. JG says:

    The cashiers are “arrogant/ignorant & apathetic?!” Come on… no need to be so rude to the folk who work for a shitty wage doing a shitty job, dealing with people on cellphones, etc.

    However, this is gross…

  4. Bill Barilko says:

    Since when is it rude to point out that someone isn’t doing their job?

    I’m not the one being rude to customers all day long and if the job doesn’t suit them I’m not going to suffer for it-nor should I.

    FWIW-I visited the store briefly yesterday-the floor has been given a rough scrubbing but that’s about it that I could see-the Staff ‘lunchroom’ was still a pigsty and expired goods still on offer.