Regina city council decides body rub parlours, workers will require licences

After about 18 months of discussion and debate, Regina city council has decided that body rub parlours will need licences to operate.

During a meeting Wednesday, city council voted 8-3 in favour of licensing the establishments, which will be allowed to operate only in the city’s industrial zones.

“We’ve already agreed to have them in the city in the restricted zone and council felt on balance that it was better to license them than to have them unlicensed and have no protection at all for those workers,” Mayor Michael Fougere said on Thursday’s Greg Morgan Morning Show.

“It was a difficult decision to make (and) there were strong arguments on both sides, but at the end of the day, it is to license the workers and the owners so we know what’s happening inside. We can prosecute when necessary (and) help those workers get out of that situation if they want to as well.”

Each worker will have to pay $100 for a licence, while the licensing fee for an establishment is $1,200.

Operators of the parlours as well as the workers will have to undergo a criminal record check and must be able to legally work in Canada. Staff and workers at the parlours will have to participate in such other things as education sessions and overdose awareness lessons.

Opponents of the licensing plan said it wouldn’t eliminate human trafficking and sexual exploitation, but Fougere said the Regina Police Service supported the move to license the establishments.

“They’ve said that this gives them the tools to actually enter the premises and see what’s going on,” Fougere said. “Otherwise, we have no real way to get in to see what’s happening at all.

“That’s part of the conundrum here is how do you protect these workers? If you don’t have some regulation, then this goes unregulated and we don’t know what’s happening. If you regulate them, you have the way to license them — both the worker and the employer — and find out what’s happening inside.”

Other topics discussed

On Monday, council decided to table a motion on making mask use mandatory in indoor public spaces — even though Fougere and several councillors earlier encouraged people to use masks.

The mayor said he hadn’t changed his tune; he still believes residents should wear them to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 if they can’t maintain physical distance.

“What I don’t want to see right now — and council agreed — was to have a bylaw created that would penalize people at some point and give them tickets,” Fougere said. “I just don’t think that, at this point, is necessary.

“I think people generally speaking are wearing masks. They can do better, but we have to also educate people more about the need to do that.”

Fougere also was asked about his re-election campaign, which he has not yet formally launched.

Asked what it will take for him to stay in the job after the upcoming municipal election, Fougere said he’s going to continue doing what he has done during his tenure.

“I hope that people will support what I’ve been doing, trying to get us through COVID-19 and working to develop our city and keep us safe,” he said. “(There) are some strong economic development ideas I have.

“I’ll be talking about this shortly, my platform, and I’m hoping people will say that I’ve done a good job and they want to see me come back again.”

Coun. Jerry Flegel and Tony Fiacco already have announced they’re running for mayor. Jim Elliott, who has run for mayor in previous elections, is holding a media conference Friday at which he’s expected to announce he’s running for the city’s top job as well.