Perhaps taking a page out of Mike Ross' National Cabaret Association playbook, the owners of 23 adult clubs in Canada have formed the Adult Entertainment Association of Canada and will be meeting with police agencies and immigration officials to try to work together.
"The owners recognize there is a problem out there," said lawyer Mendel Green, who's been hired by the club owners. "They want to clean up the industry and kick out the criminal elements." Strip clubs in the Toronto area are being raided by police on a weekly basis because of sex acts taking place inside and dancers who are here illegally.
"Green blamed a handful of shady clubs for ruining the credibility of the entire striptease business. 'Their goal is to re-establish the integrity and respectability of the industry,' he said. 'It's a large industry with thousands of employees.' He said the association will act as a professional association for dancers. 'The owners want to get rid of the sleaze aspect of the business,' Green said. 'They want to ensure everything is in the open and within the law.' He said the association will meet later this month with police agencies across the country and immigration officials.
" 'We hope to have ongoing dialogue with the police and immigration officials,' Green said. 'We want to restore the credibility of the business.'
Green said with new clubs joining the association, it'll take time before the industry starts monitoring itself. 'The women want to abide by the rules and dance to the tune of the government,' Green said. He said club owners want to ensure their dancers are legal in Canada, have good working conditions and are protected from the criminal elements.
"Toronto Police have put together an undercover team in a probe called Project Almonzo to target sex in strip clubs. About 150 strippers have been busted on morality and immigration charges in the last six months, according to statistics from the force's morality squad. Police said a number of the dancers were arrested on prostitution-related offences.
