Regina’s mayor says the decision is final, but online the controversy isn’t going away.
An online petition to re-evaluate city council’s decision to deny a proposed strip club continues to gain signatures. It was set up Friday night, and by Wednesday morning had gained over 2500 supporters.
The petition reads, “We want City of Regina Council to re-evaluate and make a more informed decision on the proposed adult entertainment facility.”
The strip club proposal met all by-law requirements, but was still voted down nine-to-one.
Debate at council that night focused on the discretion of councillors who cited safety concerns or believed a strip club was morally wrong for the community.
Despite the online backlash, the mayor says he still stands by his decision.
“How they validate signatures from Regina versus Saskatoon or across the province would be an interesting concept to look into,” said Mayor Michael Fougere. “Some of the polls we’ve seen through some of the media outlets show that the majority of people do support the decision of council.”
The proposed strip club operator, Bryon Gottfredsen, is meeting with lawyers this week to figure out where he should go from here. That could include challenging council’s decision in court.