Changes are coming to Edmonton’s massage parlour industry.
A city council committee has accepted a recommendation from the Edmonton Police Service to restrict the hours of operation for body rub massage businesses.
As it stands, the massage businesses that purchase new licenses, or renew old ones, are allowed to operate 24 hours a day.
The Edmonton Police Service voiced concern that the late hours put workers at risk and result in more instances of sexual exploitation and assault.
It was also brought to council’s attention that with 24 hour services, police have trouble establishing whether workers are ever allowed to leave the business.
This morning at city council, Acting Superintendent Stewart Callioux said EPS does not have the resources to deal with robberies and disputes as people frequent massage parlours in the middle of the night.
“We only have so many resources to go around. We do regular checks on these businesses but certainly with limited resources we don’t get out to them enough.”
Callioux says reducing the working hours at body rub centres would ease the strain on police resources.
EPS is requesting that all massage parlours operate only between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.
Supporting the police service’s recommendations this morning was Kate Quinn, from the Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation (CEASE).
She stressed “it’s not about making it easier for body rub centres to get licenses and to be open – it’s about the inherent dangers which were spoken about by the police service.”
Another problem with unlimited hours of operation that concerns CEASE is the need to recruit more workers. Quinn says that under the current system “what we’re actually doing is opening up a market to have more people working at the centres.”
Quinn suggested that the body rub parlours be restricted to operating between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. “That’s 12 hours – it’s enough time to be open.”
On the other hand, the city expressed concerns that restricting the hours could drive the business underground, exposing workers to even more dangerous situations.
Quinn disagrees, saying “we need to face the fact that the industry is already underground and online, and has been for a very long time.”
Council agreed to make the amendment to restrict the hours and the changes will take effect soon.
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