Cockroach infestation found at Calgary’s CORE mall
Posted Aug 16, 2022 7:29 am.
Last Updated Aug 17, 2022 6:48 am.
The CORE Shopping Centre in downtown Calgary had to hire a pest control company after an inspection report by Alberta Health Services (AHS) found evidence of a cockroach infestation.
According to the work order dated Aug. 10, an AHS inspector found the evidence in “the common area hallways between the food vendor units.”
AHS order of an executive officer (AHS)
AHS order of an executive officer (AHS)
AHS gave the CORE until Aug. 22 to deal with the bugs by hiring a pest control company.
In a statement, the mall says it’s working to fix the issue.
The CORE adds that if the infestation was in their food court, the mall would have needed to close to handle it.
AHS has since lifted orders to close the KFC and Ripe Tomato Pizza Bar at the mall, but a third restaurant, Koya Japan, is still under orders to remove the bugs.
John Swan, an entomologist with the University of Calgary, says that cockroaches can carry multiple diseases, including anywhere from salmonella, streptococcus, staph aureus, “things none of us want to get.”
“They’ve also been implicated in other things like typhoid, but it’s transmitting [them], because they’ll eat anything including feces,” said Swan.
“It’s this ability to take some contaminated whatever, and then walk all over it with their little feet, and maybe put it on that counter or on that chicken that’s been left out while the chef turns their back. That is what [AHS] is also worried about. So, they don’t give it to you directly, but because those biohazardous organisms are on their body, that is the fear from [AHS] in terms of food preparation.”
Swan says that its important for any place that has a sign of a cockroach infestation to hire an exterminator right away, because they know how to control it.
“They have compounds that the average homeowner can’t get, and they know how to apply them. So they’re safe under Health Canada’s guidelines. But yeah, cockroaches aren’t an easy one to solve, so I’m sure the CORE is on top of that, and health professionals are doing a fantastic job.”
