Layton may not have known the range of services offered at the Velvet Touch, but there is little confusion in over what services a number of so-called spas and holistic centres, among them some that are licensed by the city, are willing to provide for a cash fee. And there is little doubt these dubious businesses are proliferating. One local business owner says Dundas St. To prove his point, he motions to a woman across the street.
The number of illicit massage parlours and holistic centres in the city is impossible to pinpoint, but a source in the strip-club industry estimates there are , while one city councillor suggests it is closer to 3, The city introduced holistic licenses in , in part at the behest of the industry, which argued it would give establishments a way to prove their legitimacy. Legitimate holistic centres offer therapeutic and wellness treatments, such as Shiatsu, for which their practitioners have been trained.
Applicants must submit certificates showing their expertise, but the city does not check to make sure the schools are legitimate. Body rub practitioners do not have any special training and are significantly more expensive to license because, being so few in number, their share of enforcement costs are greater.
The department is drafting a report on how the city can better filter out rogue operators, which should be ready by the fall. Robertson said. There is a large school of thought that advocates in favour of licensing brothels, he notes, as a way of providing more oversight. Because the people who are in there are in there for a reason.
Joanne Lau is a longtime staff lawyer at Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, which mostly focuses on immigration cases, employment standards and disability appeals.
