Regina city council debates limiting body rub parlours to industrial areas

Body rub parlours in Regina could be limited to industrial areas if a proposed amendment to a new zoning bylaw passes at next month's city council meeting.

City administration had originally recommended that the priorities and planning committee approve a zoning bylaw that would have allowed the parlours to operate in major arterial commercial zones as well. But the allowance for operating in commercial zones that was removed in the amendment presented Wednesday.

In September, Regina's city council voted in favour of regulating the city's body rub parlours — so named to distinguish the businesses where sexual services are offered from therapeutic massage parlours — rather than banning the businesses outright.

The city has said its regulation of body rub parlours is intended not only to "[minimize] community nuisances and [protect] the integrity of the city's residential neighbourhoods," but also to focus on "harm reduction for workers, operators and their clients."

Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Stevens argues the proposed amendment may work against the safety focus by forcing the parlours into outlying areas.

"Restricting it [to industrial areas] kind of defies the whole point of this policy objective," Stevens said after discussion on the matter concluded on Wednesday.

Coun. Jerry Flegel (Ward 10) asked also raised the issue of worker safety, noting that industrial areas can be "dark and dingy."

There are currently only two body rub parlours operating in Regina industrial zones, while 17 others are operating outside those zones. Mayor Michael Fougere said it's too early to know what would happen to those establishments.

The amended bylaw means parlours would be allowed on a discretionary basis — meaning an application to open one would have to go before council and the city's planning commission.

Stevens said he would have supported the amendment if it was a permitted land-use amendment, which would allow businesses to forgo that application process.

"It makes [the application process] onerous and defeats all the purposes that we're working on here," Stevens said, highlighting the intended focus on safety.

"This is kind of a way of defunding and undermining the policy objectives we've worked to advance here."

Fougere disagreed, saying committees exist to ensure due process. He also pointed out that the bylaw could be amended again once it is before council at next month's meeting.

Coun. Barbara Young (Ward 1) said the amendment shows that people are uncomfortable with having parlours in residential and commercial zones.

During discussion on the matter in September, Young voted against banning parlours in the city outright, though, saying regulating the businesses serves an important purpose.

"I think regulations are really important because they're tools we can use, especially to look at any human trafficking issues."

Young noted the amended bylaw is in line with the current bylaw. The city says it expects the new bylaw to be approved by the province by the end of 2019 or early in 2020.