http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Edmonton+council+pursues+erotic+massage+bylaw/4609500/story.html
EDMONTON - The city is looking at creating an enforcement team and a new bylaw that would put Edmonton at the forefront of regulating erotic massage parlours in Canada.
Workers who “touch or stimulate” clients in ways that aren’t a health enhancement or medical treatment would be covered by the bylaw, along with the centres that employ them, according to a city report.
The rules might include banning underage customers, medical and criminal record checks, higher licence fees and planning restrictions, which wouldn’t apply to accredited practitioners or members of legitimate health associations.
At the same time, officials are considering forming a team that could feature planning inspectors, police, Occupational Health and Safety, Alberta Health and Immigration Canada to keep an eye on these facilities.
The group would be similar to the successful Public Safety Compliance Team that oversees Edmonton bars.
Kate Quinn, executive director of the Prostitution Awareness and Action Foundation of Edmonton, called the scheme “a bold step in the right direction.”
People in the field have been hoping for more action since the city first introduced a massage bylaw in 1994, she said Wednesday.
“We must not wait on this. We have waited 17 years for this review. We cannot hide the fact that there is dangerous and exploitative activity happening.”
More scrutiny might open the eyes of some potential workers, Quinn said.
“I received a number of calls (from) people concerned about young people lured in without many skills … 18, 19, 20, drawn in by big dollar signs,” she said.
“It’s big business in this city … Do we want to be a city where we’re known for sex for sale, for human trafficking, exploitation of people in poverty, or do we want to be known as a city where women are respected?”
Edmonton has 594 licensed massage centres and 1,170 licensed massage practitioners, city statistics show, but officials don’t know how many would fall into the “non-therapeutic” category.
Quinn hopes the enforcement team deals with such issues as human trafficking of sex-trade workers, alternative job or school options for people who want to leave the business, and labour rights.
“The city has a regulatory role, because this is where it happens. Prostitution in Canada is not illegal, so it’s left to the city to regulate any businesses where prostitution occurs.”
Council’s executive committee unanimously approved a motion to have staff draw up the bylaw, which could be ready by the end of the year.
While Quinn welcomed discussion of the issue, not all councillors were as comfortable talking about it publicly.
Coun. Amarjeet Sohi said it was a good idea “creating different licences for — I don’t want to use the words, but you understand … different from genuine health services and the legal activity that goes on.”
Chief licensing officer Randy Kirillo later denied the proposed bylaw would “license prostitution,” saying Edmonton wouldn’t sanction criminal activity.
“Some people are asking cities to regulate the sex trade, and we’re unable to because it’s contrary to the Criminal Code. We’re trying to take baby steps in the right direction.”
At least five major Canadian centres have controls on massage or body rubs, including a 25-parlour limit in Toronto, but they don’t appear to have the wide-ranging inspection team Edmonton is proposing.
An Ontario court overturned laws against keeping a bawdy house and living on the avails of prostitution last year, which could lead to municipal involvement in the field, the report says.
However, that ruling is on hold while it’s being appealed.
gkent@edmontonjournal.com
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
EDMONTON - The city is looking at creating an enforcement team and a new bylaw that would put Edmonton at the forefront of regulating erotic massage parlours in Canada.
Workers who “touch or stimulate” clients in ways that aren’t a health enhancement or medical treatment would be covered by the bylaw, along with the centres that employ them, according to a city report.
The rules might include banning underage customers, medical and criminal record checks, higher licence fees and planning restrictions, which wouldn’t apply to accredited practitioners or members of legitimate health associations.
At the same time, officials are considering forming a team that could feature planning inspectors, police, Occupational Health and Safety, Alberta Health and Immigration Canada to keep an eye on these facilities.
The group would be similar to the successful Public Safety Compliance Team that oversees Edmonton bars.
Kate Quinn, executive director of the Prostitution Awareness and Action Foundation of Edmonton, called the scheme “a bold step in the right direction.”
People in the field have been hoping for more action since the city first introduced a massage bylaw in 1994, she said Wednesday.
“We must not wait on this. We have waited 17 years for this review. We cannot hide the fact that there is dangerous and exploitative activity happening.”
More scrutiny might open the eyes of some potential workers, Quinn said.
“I received a number of calls (from) people concerned about young people lured in without many skills … 18, 19, 20, drawn in by big dollar signs,” she said.
“It’s big business in this city … Do we want to be a city where we’re known for sex for sale, for human trafficking, exploitation of people in poverty, or do we want to be known as a city where women are respected?”
Edmonton has 594 licensed massage centres and 1,170 licensed massage practitioners, city statistics show, but officials don’t know how many would fall into the “non-therapeutic” category.
Quinn hopes the enforcement team deals with such issues as human trafficking of sex-trade workers, alternative job or school options for people who want to leave the business, and labour rights.
“The city has a regulatory role, because this is where it happens. Prostitution in Canada is not illegal, so it’s left to the city to regulate any businesses where prostitution occurs.”
Council’s executive committee unanimously approved a motion to have staff draw up the bylaw, which could be ready by the end of the year.
While Quinn welcomed discussion of the issue, not all councillors were as comfortable talking about it publicly.
Coun. Amarjeet Sohi said it was a good idea “creating different licences for — I don’t want to use the words, but you understand … different from genuine health services and the legal activity that goes on.”
Chief licensing officer Randy Kirillo later denied the proposed bylaw would “license prostitution,” saying Edmonton wouldn’t sanction criminal activity.
“Some people are asking cities to regulate the sex trade, and we’re unable to because it’s contrary to the Criminal Code. We’re trying to take baby steps in the right direction.”
At least five major Canadian centres have controls on massage or body rubs, including a 25-parlour limit in Toronto, but they don’t appear to have the wide-ranging inspection team Edmonton is proposing.
An Ontario court overturned laws against keeping a bawdy house and living on the avails of prostitution last year, which could lead to municipal involvement in the field, the report says.
However, that ruling is on hold while it’s being appealed.
gkent@edmontonjournal.com
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
