McGill student clubs are suspending food sales following the termination of one club’s samosa sale by a Montreal health inspector on Tuesday, October 22. While examining the nearby Burnside Soupe Café, the inspector from the Ministère de l’Agriculture des pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) shut down the sale, citing several provincial health code violations in effect, according to an email sent by SSMU VP Student Life Billy Kawasaki.
SSMU VP Finance Sam Haward said that “a fine was issued to the SSMU, the amount will be between $2,250 and $54,000 as per the laws cited in the notice given to us by the inspector. The $5000 figure seen on social media is not accurate.” Haward ensured that the SSMU will cover the entire cost of the fine, and that the club that hosted the sale, McGill Students for China Care, will not carry any of the financial burden. In a Reddit thread, Haward wrote that he “would expect more inspections over the course of this week,” encouraging clubs not to hold food sales.
Samosa sales specifically are a visible part of student life at McGill, and we are committed to ensuring that they continue.
Haward noted that the SSMU is working on a guide for groups to follow that outline the requirements and steps for preparing and serving food at events, and that it should be released next week on the SSMU website and social media platforms. Furthermore, the SSMU will be working to provide clubs with the proper equipment to host samosa sales so that they can be started again in the coming weeks.
“Samosa sales specifically are a visible part of student life at McGill, and we are committed to ensuring that they continue,” Haward said.
