The City of Regina is in the process of drafting a new bylaw regulation what they call “body rub parlours.” That term was chosen to differentiate massage parlours that sell sexual services from registered massage therapists.
The city says the goal of the potential bylaw is to minimize the neighbourhood impact of body rub parlours and to address concerns around safety for workers.
The Regina Police Service is working closely with the city to develop regulation options. City officials are also looking into what other municipalities have done to effectively regulate these businesses.
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The city is looking to gather written submissions from stakeholders and interested residents. Those who are interested are also invited to take part in focused discussion groups. That can be done by visiting Regina.ca. Registration for the discussion closes on March 8.
According to police, there are around 21 body rub parlours in Regina.
“The goal of the bylaw is really to enhance the health and safety of not just the neighbourhood, but also the vulnerable people who are employed in these environments and making sure certain criteria are met not only to keep them safe and healthy, but also to provide them with an exit strategy if working in that field isn’t an area they want to work in,” Regina Police Chief Evan Bray said in a September interview.
City council decided to look into drafting this regulatory bylaw at their December meeting.
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