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THE WHALESBONE

231 ELGIN ST OTTAWA ON K2P 1L6 · Food Safety

Official record from Ottawa →

Inspection summary

THE WHALESBONE has been inspected 11 times by Ottawa Public Health since March 22, 2024. The most recent inspection, on August 13, 2026, recorded 2 infractions.

2 of 11 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there were 4 inspections with 10 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Handwashing and staff hygiene, Pests and Cleaning and sanitizing.

Recent inspections have recorded more infractions than earlier ones, so it is worth reading the latest reports closely.

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.

  • 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 5 times across 5 separate inspections, most recently on July 24, 2026. For example: Every food premise shall be provided with employee hand washing stations.

  • PestsHigher risk

    Signs of mice, rats, cockroaches or flies, or gaps and clutter that let them get in or hide. Pests carry bacteria and can contaminate food and surfaces, so evidence of activity is treated seriously and usually triggers a follow-up visit.

    Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on August 13, 2026. For example: The food premise is protected against the entry of pests and kept free of conditions that lead to the harbouring or breeding of pests.

  • 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 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on April 16, 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 October 17, 2025. For example: All food shall be protected from contamination and adulteration.

  • 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 once on August 22, 2024. For example: The equipment used for refrigeration or hot-holding of potentially hazardous foods is sufficiently sized to store potentially hazardous food and maintain it at applicable temperature.

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.

11 inspections

  1. Follow-up

    2 infractions

    • The food premise is protected against the entry of pests and kept free of conditions that lead to the harbouring or breeding of pests.
      • Keep the food premise free of conditions that lead to the harbouring of pests.
    • Every food premise shall be operated and maintained such that the floor or floor coverings, the walls and ceilings, and the premises itself are maintained in a sanitary condition.
      • The floors, walls and ceilings of every room where food is prepared, processed, packaged, served, transported, manufactured, handled, sold, offered for sale or displayed must be kept clean and in good repair.
  2. Required

    3 infractions

    • Every food premise shall be provided with employee hand washing stations.
      • Provide an adequate number of hand washing stations that are maintained and kept adequately supplied and that are situated for convenient access by food handlers.
    • The food premise is protected against the entry of pests and kept free of conditions that lead to the harbouring or breeding of pests.
      • Keep the food premise free of conditions that lead to the harbouring of pests.
    • Every food premise shall be operated and maintained such that the floor or floor coverings, the walls and ceilings, and the premises itself are maintained in a sanitary condition.
      • The floors, walls and ceilings of every room where food is prepared, processed, packaged, served, transported, manufactured, handled, sold, offered for sale or displayed must be kept clean and in good repair.
  3. Follow-up

    2 infractions

    • Every food premise shall be provided with employee hand washing stations.
      • Provide an adequate number of hand washing stations that are maintained and kept adequately supplied and that are situated for convenient access by food handlers.
    • 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.
  4. Required

    3 infractions

    • Every food premise shall be provided with employee hand washing stations.
      • Provide an adequate number of hand washing stations that are maintained and kept adequately supplied and that are situated for convenient access by food handlers.
    • Every food premise shall be operated and maintained such that the floor or floor coverings, the walls and ceilings, and the premises itself are maintained in a sanitary condition.
    • 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.
  5. Required

    1 infraction

    • All food shall be protected from contamination and adulteration.
  6. Follow-up

    1 infraction

    • Every food premise shall be provided with employee hand washing stations.
  7. Required

    2 infractions

    • Every food premise shall be provided with employee hand washing stations.
      • Provide an adequate number of hand washing stations that are maintained and kept adequately supplied and that are situated for convenient access by food handlers.
    • Every food premise shall be operated and maintained such that the floor or floor coverings, the walls and ceilings, and the premises itself are maintained in a sanitary condition.
  8. Follow-up inspection

    0 infractions

  9. Follow-up inspection

    1 infraction

    • Every food premise shall be operated and maintained such that the floor or floor coverings, the walls and ceilings, and the premises itself are maintained in a sanitary condition.
  10. Routine inspection

    2 infractions

    • Every food premise shall be operated and maintained such that the floor or floor coverings, the walls and ceilings, and the premises itself are maintained in a sanitary condition.
    • The equipment used for refrigeration or hot-holding of potentially hazardous foods is sufficiently sized to store potentially hazardous food and maintain it at applicable temperature.
  11. Routine inspection

    0 infractions

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