New Bylaw Could Regulate Ruling In Massage Parlours

A new bylaw in Toronto sets out to regulate the ‘rub down’ service which many massage parlours offer – counsellor Peter Milczyn has been quoted as saying that removing these parlours is not realistic, but that monitoring the issue as best they can is a step in the right direction. Currently, there is a cap on 25 sanctioned ‘body rub’ parlours in Toronto, where the ability to ‘appeal to sexual appetites’ is accepted by the law. With so few licenses available, hundreds of establishments are looking to gain holistic centre licenses so that they can offer erotic services, however illegally.

In the area, a new bylaw has been passed which will create a specific category for body rub down services – this will include the services of manipulating, massaging, stimulating and touching any aspect of a person’s body in the hope of appealing to an erotic inclination. These new definitions of what is legally acceptable in non-erotic wellness centres and massage therapy businesses, in addition to the massage parlours being targeted in the bylaw, will help to regulate the services offered across the city. For example, a zoning restriction will stop any rub down parlours to operate within a 500 metre radius of a school, place of worship or an adult entertainment business. Likewise, they will not be allowed to set up business within 100 metres of a residential area or apartment communities.

The window coverings of both non-erotic and erotic parlours will also be included in the bylaw, whereby erotic massage parlours will have covered windows in comparison to non-erotic parlous which will simply have transparent window coverings. This will help, as with the regulation, to monitor and differentiate between the two types of business. Covered windows are already a standard issue in the 25 existing body rub parlours in Toronto.