ALEKS (PLATE 41) METCALFE/SPARKS
METCALFE AND SPARKS OTTAWA OTTAWA ON K1P 5K9 · Food Safety
Inspection summary
ALEKS (PLATE 41) METCALFE/SPARKS has been inspected 3 times by Ottawa Public Health since July 1, 2024. The most recent inspection, on August 6, 2026, recorded 7 infractions.
1 of 3 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 7 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Food temperature control, Handwashing and staff hygiene and Cleaning and sanitizing.
What these findings mean
Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.
Food temperature controlHigher risk
Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.
Recorded 2 times on August 6, 2026. For example:
The equipment used for refrigeration or hot-holding of potentially hazardous foods contains accurate indicating thermometers that can be easily read.
Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk
Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.
Recorded once on August 6, 2026. For example:
Every food premise shall be provided with employee hand washing stations.
Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk
Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.
Recorded once on August 6, 2026. For example:
The surfaces of equipment and facilities other than utensils that come in direct contact with food are cleaned and sanitized as often as necessary to maintain such surfaces in a sanitary condition.
Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk
This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.
Recorded once on August 6, 2026. For example:
All food shall be protected from contamination and adulteration.
Food safety training and certificationLower risk
Most jurisdictions require a certified food handler or manager on site, and some require allergen or food-worker training. These findings mean the paperwork or the trained person was missing at the time. They do not by themselves mean food was handled unsafely.
Recorded 3 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on August 6, 2026. For example:
Operators of a food premise shall ensure that food handlers in the food premise wash their hands, not contaminate the food, and be free of infectious diseases.
About this data
These results come from Ottawa Public Health, which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.
3 inspections
- Required
7 infractions
- Every food premise shall be provided with employee hand washing stations.
- The hand washing stations must be used only for the hand washing of employees.
- The surfaces of equipment and facilities other than utensils that come in direct contact with food are cleaned and sanitized as often as necessary to maintain such surfaces in a sanitary condition.
- Clean and sanitize the surfaces of equipment and facilities as often as necessary to maintain such surfaces in a sanitary conditions.
- Operators of a food premise shall ensure that food handlers in the food premise wash their hands, not contaminate the food, and be free of infectious diseases.
- Food handlers must wash his or her hands as often as necessary to prevent the contamination of food or food areas.
- Every operator of a food service premise ensures that there is at least one food handler or supervisor on the premise who has completed food handler training during every hour in which the premise is operating.
- The equipment used for refrigeration or hot-holding of potentially hazardous foods contains accurate indicating thermometers that can be easily read.
- Potentially hazardous foods are distributed, maintained, stored, transported, displayed, sold and offered for sale in which the internal temperature is at 4°C (40°F) or lower or 60°C (140°F) or higher.
- All food shall be protected from contamination and adulteration.
- Protect all food from contamination and adulteration.
- Every food premise shall be provided with employee hand washing stations.
- Required
0 infractions
- Demand inspection
1 infraction
- Every operator of a food service premise ensures that there is at least one food handler or supervisor on the premise who has completed food handler training during every hour in which the premise is operating.
- Operator must ensure that there is at least one food handler or supervisor on the premise who has completed food handler training.
- Every operator of a food service premise ensures that there is at least one food handler or supervisor on the premise who has completed food handler training during every hour in which the premise is operating.
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