Winnipeg ladies being harrased by bylaw officials!

mod · May 17, 2007

Ok, for anyone interested here is a link to the bylaw online

http://www.winnipeg.ca/cms/License/e...ist-Escort.pdf

We have not had time to review this bylaw in great detail as one of our advertisers just sent it to us an hour ago.... however it does state "Escort" as being the word you can not advertise yourself as from what I can see so... Escorts-Canada has changed the category names accordingly. Your all not escorts really if your supplying sexual services right? Your sex workers and in Canada that is completely legal (as long as your not doing in calls).... and best of all if your not an "Escort" then the bylaw can not legally charge you for being one if your advertising as a "Service Provider" right? Check with your lawyer but I am pretty sure we are right on this one!!

Here is something very interesting from the bylaw... the definition of "Escort".

"escort" means any person who acts as a date as part of a service provided by a dating and escort service;

Am I reading this right? Your only an "escort" if you work for a dating service or escort service? Hmm, what about independents?

...and guys you may want to read this too!!

keep in the office from which the business is carried on a register in a form prescribed by the Chief License Inspector in which each date's name and address shall be legibly written in ink together with the type of service provided and the fee charged. No entry made in the register shall be erased, obliterated or defaced and no leaves shall be torn out;

Yikes! They force the agencies to keep client logs?? ... address and services offered? Are you kidding me!!?

The city won't include sex trade titles under the bylaw cause that would make them pimps in the public eye by admitting they are charging a license for prostitution if they acknowledged that sex was being exchanged for money.

We now have a section for "Service Providers" and we have a section for "Agencies" we always had a section for "Fetish Providers" and "Massage" and lets not forget "SheMales". We are known as "Escorts-Canada" but we advertise everything adult related... including those "Male Escorts" (and we left that title on the site purposely as we can't be "Escorts-Canada" and not advertise some sort of Escort right?)

So... this solves the problem from our understanding for both Calgary and Winnipeg cause both the bylaws specifically say "Escorts" need a license but prostitutes, sex trade workers, courtesans ... or what ever you would like to be known as is fair game... just don't refer to yourself as an escort cause those "escorts" and "Escort Agencies" need licenses! ... Also those massage and massage spa's need licenses too! So be careful with offering those "Services" as well.

Hope this helps we spent a the last 48 hours working on solutions to help out. We still hope you all pull together and fight this, and guys it looks like you may want to help fight it too cause that is just insane bylaws!

If anyone would like the name of a lawyer Maggie was nice enough to PM to me I will forward it to you - Just email me and ask.

Advertising under anything other then "Escort" does not ensure the by law people will leave you alone but it lets you appeal it if you do get a fine and from what I have been told (Hearsay) if you can prove your not a escort by the cities definition then you will get your appeal and not have to pay the silly fine. (Again this is speculation - you should talk to a lawyer if you have any concerns)

Please don't take my word for any of this! I am just trying to help.

Your feedback has been great so far and helped a great deal.

__________________

JoyfulC · May 19, 2007

I think this is yet more evidence as to why regulation is unworkable. Sure, municipalities like to license various adult services -- strip clubs, massage parlours, escorts -- but they can't get off the fence. As with most politicians, they can't decide whether they like the money or moral platform rights better. They try to have it both ways, and it's just not possible. When municipalities attempt to license sex workers, they essentially step into the role of pimps -- and so to satisfy that portion of their constitutency that wouldn't understand that, they try to eliminate the "sex" from sex work.

And it's sex workers and their customers who end up paying the price. I've worked under a few different systems now, and frankly, I find it much easier to work where it's against the law right across the board than where it's "regulated." As usual, the minute government -- especially a municipal government -- gets involved, they quickly screw it up.

..c..