Rats, mould and bugs: Issues plaguing the Royal Military College cafeteria

The morning after deep cleaning began at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) cafeteria in Kingston, Ont., a crew arrived to find a rat "convulsing in death throes" on a cart in the dish room.

It was Aug. 14, 2022 and a plan to spend three days scrubbing and disinfecting in order to reopen the Cadet Dining Hall (CDH), where a battle had been waged against a pest problem for weeks, was about to end in retreat.

An email from a shift supervisor paints a grisly picture.

It describes another rat dead in a trap by the juice machine, a large pool of blood and spatters under the pot sink, along with feces and urine scattered in more than a dozen places throughout the kitchen.

There was a third rat, this one alive and struggling in a trap next to the tilt fryer, and a dead mouse in the main ration room that had been there for roughly three days, the email reads.

"The situation here is NOT good," writes the sender.

"Anything that was cleaned yesterday has now got to be considered contaminated."

The message was included in 99 pages of internal emails obtained by CBC through access-to-information legislation.

They reveal details of a rat infestation last summer and outline ongoing complaints about the quality of the food being offered to cadets, including reports of mould, undercooked meat and insects in the salad.

The issues come after the kitchen underwent a $27 million investment to increase environmental protections, provide a safer working environment and improve food quality in 2021.

Maj. Cindy McLeod, RMC's acting director of support services, said the college responded to the rodents by temporarily shutting down the dining hall and calling in a pest control company.

In response to complaints about the food, she said officials welcome the feedback and are "trying our very best to do better."

A month before staff arrived to find vermin, blood and waste scattered around the kitchen, the same staff supervisor sounded the alarm, with an email saying "the rats are becoming a larger safety issue."

Photos of a box of coconut topping that had a hole chewed in it and the description of a large rat seen running through the kitchen were sent in a separate note that same day.

"It was absolutely horrible," said Tracy Astbury-Hart, a chef at the dining hall.

She, along with other staff working in the kitchen, spotted rats in the middle of the day, saying the issue "snowballed really fast."

"We were very disturbed by that. I think quite a few people couldn't fathom it," said Astbury-Hart, who is also first vice-president for the Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE) Local 00641.

She said the union had to raise the rat issue several times before RMC officials seemed to take it seriously.

"We shouldn't have to make four calls," the chef said. "We should only have had to make the one."

Maj. McLeod said the union's impression of RMC's response is "open for interpretation."

The dining hall is housed in a heritage building and its age, coupled with the fact it feeds hundreds every day, means rats are going to be a "fact of life," according to the major.

The first sightings were made around the end of June 2022, she said, adding the college took "immediate action" to protect the health and safety of cadets.

However, the dining hall remained open until late July.

McLeod said RMC closely monitored the kitchen in the meantime and plugged holes and gaps where rats could get in, but after a month they were advised by medical staff to shut down.

"In order to have that really aggressive approach and make sure that we contain the situation, it was best to empty out the kitchen," she explained.

Once RMC did look into the issue, school officials moved quickly, shutting down the dining hall and relocating food preparation to the senior staff mess within days, according to Astbury-Hart.

Trailers with kitchen appliances were even set up nearby in case further space was needed.

Cadets were fed out of that temporary arrangement until early September. The cafeteria was closed for roughly six weeks in all.

Both the union and RMC said there haven't been any rat issues since, but McLeod said the college has arranged for the pest control company to make weekly visits to ensure they don't return.

There may be a reprieve from the rodents, but a student CBC spoke with said concerns about the food continue.

During the last school year, cadets found bugs in their food, meat that was still raw and mould on bread and fruit, they said.

CBC has agreed not to identify the student as they fear speaking out could affect their academic and military career.

"It's gross," they said, adding the meals often cause them to lose their appetite.

The emails obtained by CBC outline food complaints dating back to December 2021.

"I think we are up to 6 incidents of bug sightings, within those 6, there have been 4 different types of bugs," one reads, noting insects are uncommon.

Green worms were found in wrapped broccoli, the message adds, and insects had been found in spinach and the spring mix or lettuce. RMC ended up pulling all leafy greens for the time being.

The emails also include a Google presentation titled "CDH Complaints," which the sender said was created by students

It features photos of mouldy English muffins and cheese, pork souvlaki and bacon that's still raw and rotten plums and grapes.

One picture, dated Nov. 30, 2021, says the menu offered "taco salad," but shows a scoop of ground beef on top of lettuce. "This is not a meal," it concludes.

With a kitchen serving more than 3,000 plates a day during the school year, "these sorts of things will happen," McLeod said. RMC has a "very good quality control program," she added.

Astbury-Hart echoed the major's comments, saying staff follow a system that ensures proper handling of the food and believes complaints are "few and far between."

An email from February of this year, written by McLeod's predecessor, acknowledges there were "quality problems" in the past, particularly with fruit and vegetable suppliers. It also blames staff shortages for having an "impact on quality assurance," but states those issues have since been addressed.

The student CBC spoke to disagreed. They said issues with the food come up often and are regularly posted about on a Facebook page.

RMC's food plan costs about $600 a month, and current cadets aren't able to opt-out. The student said they don't feel they're getting what they paid for, pointing out students have to pass physical performance tests in order to graduate and it's difficult to do so without good nutrition.

Physical fitness is even considered one of the "four pillars" the college credits as the foundation it uses to create officers.

McLeod said RMC's menu is established in line with Department of Defence requirements, including the necessary caloric intake, and agreed cadets need proper nutrition to succeed.

Anyone with complaints can scan QR codes posted around the dining hall, which offer the option to report issues anonymously, she said.

"I appreciate all the comments," said McLeod. "We are trying our very best to do better."

Reporter

Dan Taekema is CBC’s reporter covering Kingston, Ont. and the surrounding area. He’s worked in newsrooms in Chatham, Windsor, Hamilton, Toronto and Ottawa. You can reach him by emailing [email protected].