London - Strip Club License Limits

May 3, 2011

Jennifer O'Brien reports for the London Free Press, 2 May 2011:

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/05/02/18094486.html

The fate of two dormant London strip clubs rests in the hands of city council and members of the public who want to weigh in on the issue.

A meeting that includes public input is scheduled for Tuesday to discuss reducing the number of London strip club licences to three from five.

Because there hasn't been any live adult entertainment for more than six months at the former Legends on Piccadilly St. or at Royal Lancasters on Dundas St., the city is in a position to revoke the licences of both.

The issue is not likely to raise a fuss on Piccadilly St., where the former Legends is now operating as Club Rouge - a bar and restaurant with no strippers.

But there will be resistance by supporters of Royal Lancasters, said an employee of the Airport Hotel upstairs.

"If they don't reopen the bar, this building is history," said David, who declined to give his last name, but said some employees plan to go to Tuesday's meeting.

Royal Lancasters has been closed for renovations since February 2010 - which is what puts the city in a position to revoke its licence - and staff are hopeful it will reopen, David said.

"If it closes for good, it will affect five employees of the hotel. He'll have zero employees."

Both the Airport Hotel and Royal Lancasters are owned by a Toronto man named Carlos Canejos. In past interviews, he suggested he's a city target because of his bar's location next to a London public library branch and a YMCA.

Canejos said he plans to attend Tuesday's meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. in council chambers.

A staff report shows police responded to 63 calls to Royal Lancasters from 2007 to 2010, "When I look at that report and see between 2007 and 2010 there were 63 calls (to police) including stabbing, drugs, robbery, assault, guns and underage dancers - that seems high to me," said Coun. Matt Brown, who introduced the motion that led to Tuesday's public meeting.

"What value do these businesses add to the community? That's the answer I'll be looking for Tuesday night," he said David said the bar's reputation is unfair and the owner has taken measures to keep it a safe, crime-free establishment.

"Any strip bar has had problems with the police, but we do not call police unless we see a weapon." David said.