Only 25? I thought there are many more parlors.
City of Toronto staff say it may be time to lift the hard cap on body rub parlour licences.
Officially, the city has a limit of 25 licences.
Unofficially, body rub parlours are getting around that cap by registering as holistic centres, staff say.
In a report to the city’s General Government and Licencing Committee, city staff say they are looking at whether the cap on body rub parlours should be increased or removed, a decision that would ultimately rest with council.
“This would allow businesses offering body rub services to qualify for a licence with an appropriate level of regulations and oversight,” a staff report says.
Staff are also considering general updates to the body rub parlour bylaw to boost health and safety requirements, including requiring that parlour managers undergo criminal record checks and removing a current requirement that workers be employed for only one owner.
The city’s municipal and licencing standards staff were asked to take a deeper dive into this issue after an auditor general’s report found that roughly one-in-four holistic centres in Toronto were actually rub-and-tug outfits.
“Aside from potentially being a violation to the city’s licensing and zoning bylaws, holistic centres offering unauthorized services could potentially pose an array of health, safety and community issues, including the risk of human trafficking,” the 2017 auditor’s report says.
The staff report says council direction is being sought before final recommendations are made later this year.
At the same time, staff is considering eliminating the current requirement that a city licence be obtained for actual holistic centres and practitioners, another choice that ultimately must be put to council.
https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/toronto-to-allow-growth-in-body-rub-parlours
City of Toronto staff say it may be time to lift the hard cap on body rub parlour licences.
Officially, the city has a limit of 25 licences.
Unofficially, body rub parlours are getting around that cap by registering as holistic centres, staff say.
In a report to the city’s General Government and Licencing Committee, city staff say they are looking at whether the cap on body rub parlours should be increased or removed, a decision that would ultimately rest with council.
“This would allow businesses offering body rub services to qualify for a licence with an appropriate level of regulations and oversight,” a staff report says.
Staff are also considering general updates to the body rub parlour bylaw to boost health and safety requirements, including requiring that parlour managers undergo criminal record checks and removing a current requirement that workers be employed for only one owner.
The city’s municipal and licencing standards staff were asked to take a deeper dive into this issue after an auditor general’s report found that roughly one-in-four holistic centres in Toronto were actually rub-and-tug outfits.
“Aside from potentially being a violation to the city’s licensing and zoning bylaws, holistic centres offering unauthorized services could potentially pose an array of health, safety and community issues, including the risk of human trafficking,” the 2017 auditor’s report says.
The staff report says council direction is being sought before final recommendations are made later this year.
At the same time, staff is considering eliminating the current requirement that a city licence be obtained for actual holistic centres and practitioners, another choice that ultimately must be put to council.
https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/toronto-to-allow-growth-in-body-rub-parlours
