From 'massage parlour' to 'body rub parlour': Regina mulls new labels and regulations for industry

Regina city councillors are considering options for regulating massage parlours and other sexual service providers within the city.

A report on the issue was reviewed privately by council on Oct. 10, 2018. That report and its findings was shared community members Wednesday at a public session of the Executive Committee.

The report puts forth two approaches to the industry. One focuses on increased enforcement of zoning bylaws for adult service providers; and the other aims to improve the safety of sex workers and their clients through a licensing system.

Regina is currently an outlier since most Canadian cities have regulations for body rub massage parlours, said Corey Zaharuk, superintendent with Regina police's criminal investigation unit.

Both options include a suggestion to amend local bylaws to change "massage parlour" to "body rub parlour" to avoid confusion with therapeutic massage services provided by a registered massage therapist.

Lori Green, Executive Director of the Massage Therapist Association of Saskatchewan, said she would like to see Regina City Council adopt some of the report's recommendations.

"The critical thing in our mind is the word 'massage' should be completely taken out of any sort of sensual or erotic activity," Green said. "There is nothing therapeutic about a massage parlour in the areas of health and so we would like to see that word taken out."

Green says that the association of the word "massage" with adult services creates risks for registered massage therapists that are simply trying to do their work.

"[Some people] feel totally entitled to ask for a different services...sexual services," Green said. "There are risks involved with being a massage therapist and one [is] being associated with anything erotic or sexual."

Mayor Michael Fougere said he felt the association is making a legitimate point, and he would like to make guidelines around it.

"Whatever term we use should distinguish between massage therapist and what we're talking about today," he said.

However, he says before he states whether or not he's in favour of regulation, he wants to get feedback from the public and from adult services workers.

The City of Regina believes that there are 21 massage or "body rub" parlours currently in operation and executive committee heard that number is growing.

 Fougere said the changing definition of prostitution under Canadian law means something needs to be done. Bill C-36 — dubbed the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act — came into effect in December of 2014 and discourages and criminalizes those who create a demand for prostitution.

Zaharuk is in favour of regulation, saying it will help police better understand and interact with people working in these parlours.

"Although we're an enforcement agency we do have a good dialogue with people in this sector, in the sex trade, and it's important for us to know who's working in the sex trade because most often, many of them are vulnerable and we want to protect them as much as we can," he said.

If City Council follows the report's recommendations, both options will be reviewed by various community stakeholders, with Council coming forward with a specific policy decision by mid-2019. 

The committee voted in favour of the consultation plan outlined in the report, and the report will go before City Council for final approval on Dec. 17.