5 Toronto businesses cleared to reopen after mice seen on video

Toronto Public Health (TPH) has allowed multiple businesses in a small city-owned plaza in downtown Toronto to reopen after two mice were seen on video eating pastries at one of the establishments.

In a 34-second video posted on YouTube Saturday by Mohammad Valipour, the mice could be seen through a window of the Queen Street West plaza nibbling and walking on baklava at Meli Baklava and Chocolate Bar. He said he shared the video to raise awareness of the situation.

“I told myself someone should do something because tomorrow they are going to give this pastry to people,” Valipour told Global News in a statement.

READ MORE: What you need to know about mice in your home (and how to get rid of them)

Sylvanus Thompson, an associate director with Toronto Public Health, told Global News Monday officials were notified of the issue earlier in the day and inspectors were subsequently sent to visit. After the visit, he said inspectors identified rodent infestation and five food businesses in the building were ordered to close “until the health hazard is abated.”

Thompson said Toronto Public Health isn’t aware of previous complaints about rodents at the location. He said Meli Baklava and Chocolate Bar passed its last health inspection, which was in February.

Julie Kyriakaki, co-owner of Meli Baklava and Chocolate Bar, said Monday the food items seen in the video were for display and that the issue of rodents is not unique to her business.

“This is something that affected the entire building,” she said, adding the company managing the property brought in a pest control company.

“This was an issue about two or three years ago. A lot of measures have taken place and we haven’t seen anything for a while.”

She said she was told the City of Toronto recently cleared the sewer and it might have caused rodents to enter the plaza.

Kyriakaki said staff disposed all the existing product and going forward the items will be covered. She said she wants to see more effective pest treatments in the future.