Showgirls back in business
An infamous Saskatoon strip club that unsuccessfully took on the province's liquor and gaming laws has reopened.
Cory Thompson closed Showgirls in 2001 after the Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal. Thompson challenged a provincial law that says alcohol can not be served in an establishment where nude dancing takes place.
Now, Thompson may have found a way around that law. Last Friday, he opened Champs Sports Bar and Showgirls Restaurant on 22nd Street.
One side of the establishment is licensed as a bar that serves alcohol. The other side is a restaurant and strip club, where you can buy food and non-alcoholic beverages, and watch dancers perform strip shows every half-hour.
"The building was right for the set up of the permit," says Thompson. "One half of the place is licensed as a sports bar, and the other half is licensed as a restaurant, but we run them as two totally separate places."
The bar and restaurant are joined by an outdoor patio. Thompson says no one under the age of 19 will be allowed into either establishment.
Saskatoon city councillor Maurice Nealt says Thompson may have found a way around provincial liquor laws, but he could be breaking the city's zoning bylaws. Nealt says the neighbourhood is not zoned for entertainment establishments.
However, Thompson points out that he's next door to a bowling alley.