Topless Tuesday back on after liquor regulators force small N.B. resort to cancel event
Spa owners were originally told they'd need an 'exotic entertainment' liquor licence
In the lead-up to Hope Wellness Eco-Resort's first Topless Tuesday of this year, Katie Carson was surprised by a phone call she got from a man concerned about the event.
"He just went on to say he was doing an investigation into the event, which I was obviously a little thrown by."
The event is for women only and is capped at 12 registrants. Co-owners Carson and Ashley Ward planned to shut down the resort for the day and have only female staff, so that women who comfortable with the idea could feel free to take their tops off.
"This was a very safe space, very very private, absolutely nothing would be shown to the public," said Carson.
But the man on the phone soon revealed that he was with the province's Gaming Control and Licensing Services, which approves liquor licences on behalf of the Department of Public Safety.
"He — long story short — said you can't hold this event, and if you do there will be repercussions for the business," Carson said.
A natural progression of events
Carson and Ward opened Hope Wellness Eco-Resort in 2023, focusing on things such as yoga and wellness retreats. The idea to hold a Topless Tuesday came up in 2024.
"It kind of came naturally in a sense," Carson said. "Ashley and I have always been pro women's rights and women having the opportunity to express their bodies.
"And we just honestly thought, why not bring this to New Brunswick?"
The resort held two events in 2024, which were both a success.
"It was a beautiful experience," Carson said.
"We had a beautiful group of women that joined us … women that would reach out asking when the next one was coming, and [say] how they enjoyed it and how they told their friends and how they just felt very empowered by being able to be in the space without judgment."
The Nordic spa on site only allows adults over 19 because alcohol is served on the premises.
But that's where the owners ran into trouble.
The man on the phone, and later other staff with the Department of Public Safety, told Carson a topless event would violate the terms of their licence.
"We would need an exotic licence, with a cost of $750, in which case the minister may not approve," Carson said.
"They said that it would be nudity for entertainment, which is not at all the case. It's actually the complete opposite."
Carson said the resort received specifics about the regulation less than 24 hours before the event was to be held June 24, so they were forced to cancel it.
"I think it was just a letdown for women, honestly," she said. "Just to see that someone can come into a place where they thought they could feel safe without judgment and have this become something sexualized."
Support from the community
In the days following, Carson took to social media to post a video explaining what happened.
It quickly garnered thousands of views and hundreds of comments from women around the world.
"I shed many tears looking at the comments from this video and the people that messaged us, like DM'ed us, sharing their thoughts on their body and how this event was so empowering and how much it meant to them," Carson said.
Despite the cancellation, Carson and Ward continued to correspond with Public Safety and looked for a lawyer to fight the decision.
"At first we just kind of wanted to figure out a solution so we could host our event," Carson said. "But at this point it's so much more than that. Because we think women should have the space to choose — especially in a private setting where they feel comfortable — if they want to be topless."
In an email to CBC News, the Department of Public Safety said it was "aware of the decision and reviewing it."
A few days later, the Eco-Resort received a phone call from the department, indicating the decision was being reversed.
"We received a phone call yesterday stating that they had done a review on our event, of Topless Tuesday, and they wanted to let us know that we have the OK to move forward, that after the review they did notice that it fell within our rights for liquor licensing," Carson said.
While the two consider it a win, and plan to schedule another Topless Tuesday for this fall, they said it was still important to draw attention to what happened, so it doesn't happen again.
"In a greater sense, it's kind of brought to light how much of an overreach there seems to be in this department when it comes to women's rights," Carson said.
"I'm just hoping in general that they can come to an updated understanding of what is considered appropriate in 2025."
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With files from Radio Canada's Kristina Cormier