Saskatoon Farm south of Calgary cleared to re-open as cases linked to E.coli rise

Saskatoon Farm says Alberta Health Services gave it the green light to reopen its food service facilities Saturday, despite cases linked to E.coli from a July outbreak continuing to rise.

The farm near Okotoks, southeast of Calgary, announced a gradual reopening on its website and social media, saying it would reopen in stages.

It says the bakery reopened on Saturday with a limited offering, the restaurant will reopen on Monday with a limited menu, and the Red House will reopen after the weekend once it has been restocked.

“Over the past several weeks, our team has worked closely alongside AHS to investigate this situation and rectify the problem — all with the goal of ensuring the highest standards of safety, cleanliness, and care for our valued customers,” the notice reads.

“Our current water supply has been thoroughly inspected, professionally cleaned, and subsequently approved by AHS’s water specialist team to ensure that their standards are being met. AHS is satisfied with the measures that we have taken with our water system and cleaning protocols, and as such, they are allowing us to reopen.”

The reopening comes after AHS said Thursday there have been 107 probable laboratory cases of E.coli–up from 68 in early August and 18 confirmed cases days after closing on July 23. The rest of the venue remained open and safe for business

Four hospitalizations have been linked to the illness at the Saskatoon Farm to date, with three being discharged.

In 68 of the presumptive cases, Entamoeba histolytica infection has also been identified. The parasite can also cause liver, lung, and brain damage in extreme cases.

Water in the facility is believed to be the cause of the outbreak, according to AHS Medical Officer of Health Dr. Francesco Rizzuti in a news conference in July. He said Saskatoon Farms shut off the water and switched to a different source in July.

According to the provincial health agency, the Saskatoon Farm owner believes rainwater got into the cisterns they use for their water, but then switched the supply as soon as they became aware people were getting sick.

Saskatoon Farm said Saturday it’s continuing to serve bagged ice per AHS orders and will only serve canned beverages and bottled water for customers. Water used for everything from hand-washing to baking is from a potable AHS-approved source.

Additionally, water used for irrigating its Upick fields comes from rainfall, and its vegetables use a separate irrigation system not connected to the one under AHS review. As neither is part of AHS’s investigation, Saskatoon Farm says they are safe for harvesting and crop production.

Meanwhile, anyone who ate or drank at the restaurant between July 1 and July 16 and is experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms should call Alberta Health Link at 811.

If you’re experiencing no symptoms, AHS says to call Health Link for amoebiasis screening after July 30. The illness might not have immediate symptoms, but it can lead to serious illness.

CityNews has reached out to AHS for more information on the reopening.

With files from Lauryn Heintz