AHS temporarily shutters Saskatoon Farm food facilities after 88 fall ill

CBC

25-07-2025

More than a week after dining at the sit-down restaurant at Saskatoon Farm, best friends Kayla Scott and Alanna Jensen are still battling a stubborn illness — and they aren't the only ones.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) has temporarily closed all food services at the popular Okotoks farm after 88 people reported gastrointestinal illness following visits on July 15 and 16. Officials are also investigating whether two recent hospitalizations are connected.
AHS says food services will remain closed while it waits for test results from the farm's water system and food preparation areas. The kitchen is also being thoroughly cleaned.
"I haven't ever experienced anything like this," said Scott, a Calgary resident.
Scott and Jensen — as well as their friend and all their young babies — visited last Wednesday. Their symptoms hit the next day: intense vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, fevers, chills and more.
"My already-low milk supply for my daughter has gotten even lower because I can't eat, I can barely drink. That's been a huge cause of stress for us. This whole thing has just been a nightmare."
Water quality concerns
Saskatoon Farm apologized to those affected through a social media post on July 22.
After a request for an interview, management wrote to CBC News that after last week's heavy rain, they believe groundwater got into the cisterns from which they truck in their restaurant water.
"As soon as we noticed we switched to our treated well, purged all our affected lines with chlorine and switched to bottled water/pop. We had to throw out many produced items as well that might have been affected," Seann Hamer, one of the owners, wrote in an email.
Jensen said she knew all along that it was an issue with the water. She said she even asked for lemon slices to add to her water to help with the taste.
"There were three of us that went to the farm. Two of us ended up sick, and the two of us that were sick were the ones that drank the water," said Jensen, who lives in Okotoks.
She wrote the farm an email on Friday morning, two days after their visit, to let them know about their symptoms.
"I'm probably just never gonna drink water at a place of business ever again," said Scott.
Watch for dehydration, bloody diarrhea
Dr. Catherine Patocka, an emergency department physician and emergency medicine department head at the University of Calgary, said in situations like this, she worries most about vulnerable populations.
"Younger children or much older individuals who are not able to eat or drink anything could certainly be at risk for dehydration."
"And then also certainly if you're having diarrhea that has blood in it, that's always more concerning to us and should be brought to attention sooner."
Microbiologist Jason Tetro said this is an example of why water testing is so important — especially in rural, agricultural settings.
"It's very rare that we see this, but if you suspect that a lot of rain has occurred and you know that you're going into an environment that may be using water that isn't pressurized and treated like we do in the city, it's OK to ask for bottles."
U-Pick open this weekend
On Facebook, Saskatoon Farm said their other services — including their gift store and farmer's market stand — remain open.
The Saskatoon Berry U-Pick will also be open this weekend.