Eight of Manitoba's 30 public health inspector positions are vacant, including both the jobs that monitor the northern half of the province, CBC News has learned.

And while the government says it's working on hiring inspectors, mayors in two northern communities say the situation is unacceptable.

The current backup system, in which inspectors are rotated into The Pas once every five weeks, is not practical or safe, said Mayor Gary Hopper, whose town hasn't had a provincial health inspector on site for more than two and a half years.

"I guess the greatest fear would be a major outbreak of something that could have been prevented by having somebody here," Hopper said.

"I guess what would come to mind there, if something were to happen in one of the restaurants or food establishments, suppliers, wherever. Say, if an inspection was missed and something slipped through."

Flin Flon Mayor Dennis Ballard agreed.

"I think it's a safety issue," said Ballard, whose city was served by The Pas's inspector. "I don't like the feeling, to know that when somebody phones me about a particular situation — and that has happened — that I just really don't have anywhere really to turn."

Public health inspectors not only check restaurants but also monitor day cares, swimming pools and housing facilities and conduct investigations into communicable diseases.

The last inspector left the other northern post, in Thompson, in January. The other vacancies are in Winnipeg, Brandon, Virden, Winkler, Selkirk and Dauphin.

Inspectors expected in place by January

Blair McTavish, acting deputy minister for Manitoba Conservation, acknowledged that the current rotation system is not ideal.

"It's not our preferred option, but I think what we are trying to meet is the basic needs throughout the province of Manitoba," McTavish said.

He said that the province has had difficulty attracting people to northern Manitoba, especially when new graduates are in demand across Canada. But he added that the province expects to have the two northern positions filled by January.

In the meantime, if residents in communities without a full-time inspector have a public health-related complaint, they can contact their local Manitoba Conservation office.

So far, he said, the department hasn't heard many complaints from the north but "if there's a concern we'd like them to bring it forward."