Whitehorse restaurant owners want inspection reports tweaked

The owners of a Whitehorse "mom and pop" operation want changes made to the way restaurant health inspections are reported on a Yukon government website.

Susan Keleher and Dave Gingras opened Susan's Place restaurant on the Alaska Highway in Whitehorseabout nine monthsago.

Keleher says it's a struggle to establisha business, but she's proud of their restaurantincluding itscleanliness.

That's why shewas stunned when a customertold her theywouldn't have come into the restaurant based on thenegative health inspection, if a friend hadn't talked her into it.

"Hearing from people that they're not going to come here because of what they're reading is what's really upsetting," Kelehersaid.

The government began putting the reports online earlier this month.

Keleher and Gingras believe the bad impression came from a September inspection that foundseveral infractions. They insist the problems were relatively minor, butfeel the report left the impression their restaurant is unsanitary and risky.

The violations included wooden shelving that needed to be painted or lined, using well water that isn't tested to the health department's standards, and needing a screen installed on a back door, they said.

The restaurateursalso refuse to ensure their septic field tank is pumped out every six months. Gingras believes it's not necessary, and should be the responsibility of the person they lease the building from.

Gingras said he'snot against the inspection reports being public, he just feels they're too "vague". He said the online report doesn't make it clear that the only outstanding issue from the September report is the sewage tank.

"I thought the Yukon government was here to promote small business, not trash them and make it so people don't want to go to the business.Because they aren't going to be willing to pay loss of revenue," Gingras said.

The Yukon Health and Social Services department does not comment on specific inspections or businesses, but the inspection reports contain a disclaimer that cautions people againstmaking judgements based on a single report.