Calgary company at centre of daycare E. coli outbreak to be sentenced

Meghan Grant · CBC News

· Posted: May 27, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

The Calgary institution astatine the centre of a daycare E. coli outbreak is acceptable to beryllium sentenced Tuesday greeting aft pleading blameworthy to bylaw offences past month.

In April, Justice of the Peace Mathieu St-Germain accepted the company's blameworthy plea to operating without a food services concern licence astatine the clip of the outbreak.

Lawyers for Fueling Minds Inc. — a catering institution that provided nutrient to section daycares — and the City of Calgary submitted a associated sentencing proposal past month of a $10,000 fine.

After the condemnation is handed down, authoritative Ed Ring indicated helium volition inquire the justice to retreat the remaining charges faced by the company's 2 directors. 

• Calgary institution astatine centre of daycare E. coli outbreak pleads blameworthy to bylaw offences

In September 2023, an E. coli outbreak was declared with astatine slightest 448 radical — mostly children — falling ill. 

Of the astir superior cases, 39 children and 1 big were hospitalized and 23 of those patients were diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a information that tin pb to life-threatening kidney failure. 

• Meatloaf apt root of Calgary daycare E. coli outbreak arsenic shared room charged

The City of Calgary said it had traced the outbreak to the catering institution that prepared nutrient for its daycares, Fueling Brains, arsenic good arsenic different child-care businesses successful the city.  

A study released by Alberta Health Services recovered the E. coli apt came from a beef meatloaf served from the Fueling Minds cardinal room connected Aug. 29, 2023. 

'Administrative container … not checked'

During the company's plea, an agreed connection of facts was work aloud.

The institution admitted it did not person a nutrient services concern licence astatine the clip of the outbreak.

Prosecutor Ed Ring told the tribunal that the metropolis had not established that Fueling Minds' nonaccomplishment to get a due licence caused the E. coli incident.

Fueling Minds' lawyer Steve Major told the tribunal that the company had a room licence but not a catering licence, "an administrative container that was not checked."

In the aftermath of the outbreak, respective lawsuits were filed against the company, including a projected class-action suit that is inactive earlier the courts.