Any reason for the dearth of agencies in Halifax??

[drlove 37204]

For those of you old enough to remember, once upon a time there were a multitude of agencies in the Halifax area. Once all the fly by nights were weeded out, there were a few reputable ones to choose from such as Park Avenue, Gentleman’s Club, Aristocrat, Diamond Dates etc.. They all folded for one reason or another, with some being driven out of business by political will at the time. When I look at larger, more populated cities such as Toronto or Montreal, there is a plethora of agency establishments in business there. What’s more, they’re thriving. I understand that Halifax does not have the population base to support  agencies on such a scale. However, given Halifax is a port /university city, I would have thought at least one or two agencies would have sprung up and made inroads to fill the void. While being independent is the predominant business model, an agency may offer some benefits to those just starting out for instance, as well as offering another option to clientele. I’m curious why that hasn’t transpired here. Just some random thoughts on a lazy Sunday afternoon...

[foundnewland 194]

there's something odd about the complete lack of massage parlours or even drop-in agencies in this city, especially as I moved here from st. john's about 5 years ago.  there's a trio of businesses in st. john's all run by the same people where you can drop in for a massage or what-have-you on very short notice, discreet and clean, even pay with your VISA if you like. three of them in a city half the size of Halifax. two strip clubs as well, and the Cotton Club is actually quite nice with very pretty dancers. there's also a few phone agencies, and I was never disappointed with their service.

i heard the moral crusade of gloria mccluskey had something to do with getting rid of a lot of the sex work here, particularly in Dartmouth, but i don't know if that's true, though this city seems a bit more sex negative than st. john's is, IMO. in any case, it's very disappointing that nothing quite like any of what exists in st. john's goes on here, as I much prefer a place where i can drop in with little or no notice, as I rarely have days in advance to book. 

on the flip side, Halifax has way more options if you want to book a date in advance and meet a lady at her home or preferred location, plus those who tour are far more likely to visit here than there, and I have had some amazing times with some beautiful people, in many cases because of this very board.

personally, i prefer living here, but i do miss studio hush and wish we had something like that here.

this pandemic fucking sucks.

[Guest]

  It's likely a combination of updated laws and greater internet accessibility for advertisement.

For the longest time, the trade was controlled by various groups of "legitimate businessman" who controlled means of advertisements like newspapers. Made it hard if not impossible for an independent provider to do business in certain regions.

But as law enforcement cracked down on many of those groups, prostitution laws been updated(for the better and worst) and broader internet access made it easier to advertise, it makes it harder for agencies to efficiently operate in smaller territories. 

[StephanieMystique 1892]

Big issues for agencies as Greenteal pointed out is our city and provincial by-laws, added on top of it, federal laws don't help matters. 

Its the simple reason why we don't even have a strip club available in NS, nevermind massage parlors. As for agencies, there is a fine line of profiting off of someone's services vrs being hired to help with marketing, advertising and bookings like a manager or agent. It's challenging in this business as you mentioned Drlove as there is so much background work that happens every moment and always needing to be 'on' or plugged in. An agency would be something that can help with that but sadly many have put a bad word on the street where they aren't there to help the providers but but a profit off of their work. When is comes down to it, laws are in favor of providers while agencies can face trafficking/pimping charges and jail time.  

As for Toronto, and Montreal, its a different world in both places. Montreal/Quebec laws make it more easy to purchase services, thus easier for an agency to run. Sadly they do control that market making it menu and price driven. The affects of it are felt in Ottawa (based on my experience). Toronto, some of the agencies have been running so long they've been able to make connections with law enforcement to help with trafficking and protect themselves. For one to thrive there are 5 more that don't make it. Just like any other business. 

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, StephanieMystique said:

As for Toronto, and Montreal, its a different world in both places. Montreal/Quebec laws make it more easy to purchase services, thus easier for an agency to run. Sadly they do control that market making it menu and price driven. The affects of it are felt in Ottawa (based on my experience). Toronto, some of the agencies have been running so long they've been able to make connections with law enforcement to help with trafficking and protect themselves. For one to thrive there are 5 more that don't make it. Just like any other business. 

     On top of that, the access to a large market and income makes it easier to navigate legal and financial loopholes to operate in semi-legality. And if they feel pressured to close down, they simply create another agency and continue doing business under a new name. Pretty much an endless cycle.

[drlove 37204]

Thanks for all the excellent input, everyone! That pretty much sums it up. When I started this thread, I was thinking of those established and reputable agencies for whom it’s business as usual. I suppose I was a bit envious that we don’t have that here, especially considering we once did! I haven’t been to Toronto in years, so I’m stuck reminiscing about the good old days for now! Hopefully things will change for the better in the future.

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, drlove said:

Thanks for all the excellent input, everyone! That pretty much sums it up. When I started this thread, I was thinking of those established and reputable agencies for whom it’s business as usual. I suppose I was a bit envious that we don’t have that here, especially considering we once did! I haven’t been to Toronto in years, so I’m stuck reminiscing about the good old days for now! Hopefully things will change for the better in the future.

   To be honest, my experiences with those were very mixed. The only true benefit was the convenience. Instead of calling multiple ads to find someone available, agencies pretty much did the job for you. But on evenings with limited staff, what ends up at your location is not always what was described or promised. And even if some promise "money back" or the possibility of replacement, it's much easier to bite the bullet than arguing with the lady and driver.

    After a series of bad experiences, felt it was better to plan in advance with an indy instead of taking a chance.

[drlove 37204]

1 hour ago, Greenteal said:

   To be honest, my experiences with those were very mixed. The only true benefit was the convenience. Instead of calling multiple ads to find someone available, agencies pretty much did the job for you. But on evenings with limited staff, what ends up at your location is not always what was described or promised. And even if some promise "money back" or the possibility of replacement, it's much easier to bite the bullet than arguing with the lady and driver.

    After a series of bad experiences, felt it was better to plan in advance with an indy instead of taking a chance.

I agree, agencies can be a mixed bag at times. I have to say I was extremely fortunate in dealing with a few top notch establishments back in the day. The owners were focused on customer service, and I never had a bad experience. For me, the convenience factor was that the agency did all the screening. Therefore, I knew that any lady of theirs was reputable and above board. In some ways, it was similar to Lyla - you can’t go wrong here. It just took the guess work out of the equation. Places like Leolist are the new “Wild West. “While there may indeed be some diamonds in the rough to be uncovered, I don’t have the time nor the energy to look for them.

[harboursmoke 3087]

21 hours ago, drlove said:

For those of you old enough to remember, once upon a time there were a multitude of agencies in the Halifax area. Once all the fly by nights were weeded out, there were a few reputable ones to choose from such as Park Avenue, Gentleman’s Club, Aristocrat, Diamond Dates etc.. They all folded for one reason or another, with some being driven out of business by political will at the time. When I look at larger, more populated cities such as Toronto or Montreal, there is a plethora of agency establishments in business there. What’s more, they’re thriving. I understand that Halifax does not have the population base to support  agencies on such a scale. However, given Halifax is a port /university city, I would have thought at least one or two agencies would have sprung up and made inroads to fill the void. While being independent is the predominant business model, an agency may offer some benefits to those just starting out for instance, as well as offering another option to clientele. I’m curious why that hasn’t transpired here. Just some random thoughts on a lazy Sunday afternoon...

You bring back some memories.  The Gentleman's Club under the MacDonald Bridge.  That was actually a nice place.  Clean with descent rooms.  I was there 3-4 times I think.  

Park Avenue I visited once and saw one girl from there frequently.  

Aristocrat and Diamonds I don't remember. 

My first Halifax strip club was the Lighthouse lol That was only once and I was only in Ralphs a couple of times.  Once you been to Que its hard to compare fairly lol 

Halifax is an odd town.  Its a sailors, students and vagabonds town.  It has no issues with extreme drunken nights and fights.  And it doesn't care about consensual sex, but my god if you want to exchange money!  Well holy smokes, that's a no - no. 

Which is funny because the Halifax Madam ran a very fine and established business for decades.  

https://halifaxmag.com/blog/ada-mccallum-the-life-of-a-famous-halifax-madam/

[harboursmoke 3087]

1 hour ago, Greenteal said:

   To be honest, my experiences with those were very mixed. The only true benefit was the convenience. Instead of calling multiple ads to find someone available, agencies pretty much did the job for you. But on evenings with limited staff, what ends up at your location is not always what was described or promised. And even if some promise "money back" or the possibility of replacement, it's much easier to bite the bullet than arguing with the lady and driver.

    After a series of bad experiences, felt it was better to plan in advance with an indy instead of taking a chance.

That's too bad.  I only had one experience where I was fed the old "I have to pay the driver first" routine and she left with the $$$.  Luckily I was in good enough with that agency they were very upset at her and sent another girl over right away for no cost.  

I remember once calling an agency and they didnt have a lady on that night that tickled my fancy.  But the receptionist sounded amazing.  So I ended up booking her lol She was stunning.  Had a great night.  

I ended up dating an escort from, I think, Park Avenue for a while.  That was an experience, a good one.  Sadly we were simply in different places with different priorities at the time. 
 

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, harboursmoke said:

That's too bad.  I only had one experience where I was fed the old "I have to pay the driver first" routine and she left with the $$$.  Luckily I was in good enough with that agency they were very upset at her and sent another girl over right away for no cost.  

I remember once calling an agency and they didnt have a lady on that night that tickled my fancy.  But the receptionist sounded amazing.  So I ended up booking her lol She was stunning.  Had a great night.  

I ended up dating an escort from, I think, Park Avenue for a while.  That was an experience, a good one.  Sadly we were simply in different places with different priorities at the time. 
 

  I was in Quebec City in the 90's and early 2K's when the trade was controlled by a certain group. On slow days, dealing with agencies was a joke as one single person would answer for ALL of them. Would call one to be offered a limited options and when calling other places the same guy would answer the phone.

  Those evenings would normally settle for a massage as an alternative.

[harboursmoke 3087]

9 minutes ago, Greenteal said:

  I was in Quebec City in the 90's and early 2K's when the trade was controlled by a certain group. On slow days, dealing with agencies was a joke as one single person would answer for ALL of them. Would call one to be offered a limited options and when calling other places the same guy would answer the phone.

  Those evenings would normally settle for a massage as an alternative.

I have dabbled in Que very little outside of SCs.  Most of my experience has been in Kingston, Barrie and Ottawa Ontario and of course Halifax.  

I have extensively seen escorts internationally, and that's a whole other ball of wax.  

[harboursmoke 3087]

12 minutes ago, Greenteal said:

  Those evenings would normally settle for a massage as an alternative.

Massage parlors intrigue me.  I don't have much experience in them at all.  But I do like the sounds of them.  Halifax needs a couple! 

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, harboursmoke said:

Massage parlors intrigue me.  I don't have much experience in them at all.  But I do like the sounds of them.  Halifax needs a couple! 

    I normally avoid those. Prefer massages at a private residence/apartment.

[StephanieMystique 1892]

56 minutes ago, harboursmoke said:

Which is funny because the Halifax Madam ran a very fine and established business for decades.  

https://halifaxmag.com/blog/ada-mccallum-the-life-of-a-famous-halifax-madam/

OHH!!! I have hear stories of her! 

[harboursmoke 3087]

10 minutes ago, StephanieMystique said:

OHH!!! I have hear stories of her! 

Ya she was before my time.  But there is some interesting stuff on Youtube documentary wise if you are interested. 

[StephanieMystique 1892]

3 hours ago, harboursmoke said:

Ya she was before my time.  But there is some interesting stuff on Youtube documentary wise if you are interested. 

I will go look. Thank you. 

[Mikejfenwick 1108]

On 1/4/2021 at 2:15 PM, harboursmoke said:

Massage parlors intrigue me.  I don't have much experience in them at all.  But I do like the sounds of them.  Halifax needs a couple! 

I couldn't agree more. I lived in Ontario for several years and miss their massage parlours. It's different then seeing a SP but addresses a market. 

I'm often not able to book as far in advance as a good SP needs to effectively manage her schedule which I respect. So a well respected massage parlour gives you a certain level of confidence when you "walk in". 

I especially liked the member club business model. 

[harboursmoke 3087]

On 1/5/2021 at 9:30 PM, Mikejfenwick said:

I couldn't agree more. I lived in Ontario for several years and miss their massage parlours. It's different then seeing a SP but addresses a market. 

I'm often not able to book as far in advance as a good SP needs to effectively manage her schedule which I respect. So a well respected massage parlour gives you a certain level of confidence when you "walk in". 

I especially liked the member club business model. 

I am fully aligned with your feelings.  Unfortunately with life now booking with a great SP is often last minute and not always successful; understandably. 

The "member club business model" has baffled me.  I assume you mean like CMJ in Ottawa ?  Can you shed some light on how these work ?  Feel free to PM.

[Mikeyboy 27133]

The Gentleman's Club was my first experience with the industry. (I think I'm dating myself). It wasn't as intimate of an encounter as seeing an independent sp by any means, but there is something to be said for the convenience of the "no appointments necessary" format lol.

They closed down not long after that. Apparently they got raided and harassed by LE so often that it just wasn't worth it to continue. I believe the laws are such here that it would be very difficult for most agency models to exist. (At least that's my understanding.)

[drlove 37204]

On 1/7/2021 at 9:47 AM, Mikeyboy said:

The Gentleman's Club was my first experience with the industry. (I think I'm dating myself). It wasn't as intimate of an encounter as seeing an independent sp by any means, but there is something to be said for the convenience of the "no appointments necessary" format lol.

They closed down not long after that. Apparently they got raided and harassed by LE so often that it just wasn't worth it to continue. I believe the laws are such here that it would be very difficult for most agency models to exist. (At least that's my understanding.)

That’s certainly true. Back in the 80’s, LE basically turned a blind eye to the entire industry. The predominant view was that most ladies were working of their own volition. While it allowed agencies such as Ada’s, Park Avenue and Gentleman’s Club to thrive and flourish, Halifax did have a major problem with street level prostitution. The raids in Toronto began what was somewhat of a cleanup, but it wasn’t until 2007 or so that the industry witnessed a major crackdown in these parts due to political pressure. It’s a shame, though since it drove the agencies out of business. I feel if we had a larger population base and friendlier laws concerning these types of establishments, things would be a lot different.

[Mikejfenwick 1108]

On 1/7/2021 at 8:09 AM, harboursmoke said:

I am fully aligned with your feelings.  Unfortunately with life now booking with a great SP is often last minute and not always successful; understandably. 

The "member club business model" has baffled me.  I assume you mean like CMJ in Ottawa ?  Can you shed some light on how these work ?  Feel free to PM.

In a membership model you pay a regular fee for the privelege of having access to view and book appointments then adhoc there after. 

What I really appreciated about that model was the upscaleness and professionalism of those places. Equal parts massage parlour and gentleman's lounge. 

I imagine when you have a more predictable revenue structure through membership fees you can invest in the venue more, take care of your ladies better, attract better talent, which attracts better clients. 

[harboursmoke 3087]

On 1/7/2021 at 9:47 AM, Mikeyboy said:

The Gentleman's Club was my first experience with the industry. (I think I'm dating myself). It wasn't as intimate of an encounter as seeing an independent sp by any means, but there is something to be said for the convenience of the "no appointments necessary" format lol.

They closed down not long after that. Apparently they got raided and harassed by LE so often that it just wasn't worth it to continue. I believe the laws are such here that it would be very difficult for most agency models to exist. (At least that's my understanding.)

My understanding was the neighbors banded together and bought the place.  That small patch of Dartmouth under went some gentrification and the GC was a casualty.  I stand to be corrected though.

 

[drlove 37204]

20 hours ago, harboursmoke said:

My understanding was the neighbors banded together and bought the place.  That small patch of Dartmouth under went some gentrification and the GC was a casualty.  I stand to be corrected though.

 

I knew the house had been sold, but wasn’t aware to whom. That would make sense, though... I know the next door neighbours were pretty pissed off about being woken up at 3:00am every night by drunk guys pounding on their door looking for women! Lol 😆 

[harboursmoke 3087]

49 minutes ago, drlove said:

I knew the house had been sold, but wasn’t aware to whom. That would make sense, though... I know the next door neighbours were pretty pissed off about being woken up at 3:00am every night by drunk guys pounding on their door looking for women! Lol 😆 

Side note but related.  

My SO had a coworker who held the office Christmas party at her house in the Halifax Forum area.  She had beautiful place.  While discussing her place; she described how her house was at one time a brothel.  And they still semi-frequently had visits from gentlemen looking for some fun.  

Its funny, this subculture has permeated every aspect of society but outside of certain European countries its still viewed a taboo.  Damn shame...