By Thia James

POLL: Sask. repealing law that allows stripping at bars

Mar 25, 2015 | 10:46 AM

Just over one year after Saskatchewan made it legal for dancers to take off their clothes down to thongs and pasties at licensed venues, the province is changing its mind.

The premier told reporters on Wednesday that the province was taking back the part of Saskatchewan’s new liquor laws that allowed stripping in places where alcohol is served. While the legislation allowed dancers to strip, it did not allow them to get naked.

“I’d like to confirm that I believe that the government of Saskatchewan made a mistake last year when we allowed licensed strip clubs in the province. I made a mistake and so I’m announcing today that we’re reversing that decision,” admitted Brad Wall.

“I’ve said we’re going to try to be the kind of government that acknowledges when I think that we’ve made a mistake.”

Why the change of heart? Wall explained how the current law opens the door to several unwelcome elements of crime.

Event Centre funding

City may hire lobbyist for event centre money

5h ago

International honours

Raiders' Kubiesa to represent Czechia at IIHF U18 Men's World Championship

8h ago

Learn the signs

How often should you change your brakes?

12h ago

“If by this decision we have inadvertently allowed for even a marginal increase in the chance for human trafficking, it’s the wrong decision. If by this decision we have only marginally allowed for the slimmest potential of a greater foothold in Saskatchewan for organized crime, then it’s the wrong decision.”

The Saskatchewan Party caucus has already approved the change. The Minister of Justice and the Minister responsible for SLGA will sit down and draft up changes. Wall said it doesn’t need legislative change, only change to the wording in the regulation.

The premier pointed out that plenty of research has been done on strip clubs and how they are linked to some degree of organized crime, citing data collected by the RCMP in 2012. Wall said he’s also been listening very closely to what police in Saskatchewan are saying.

“In talking with law enforcement in our province they indicated to me that close to 100 per cent of the clubs in central Canada will be operated by the Hells Angels.”

The new law had just come into effect on Jan. 1, 2014.

The owner of the Codette Hotel, Don Verstraeten, said the announcement took the wind out of his sails. The hotel was the first in the province to take advantage of the new law last year.

Codette is located 10 kilometres south of Nipawin.

Stripteases at the hotel have brought in business. It features shows on the weekends.

“People make special trips. Like we have busloads coming in from all the little towns all around because this is kind of the hub and I guess it still hasn’t lost … the original impact,” he said.

Verstraeten doesn’t agree with Wall’s assertion that stripping has links to human trafficking and organized crime. He said it’s right out of the question.

He’s been running the hotel for just over a year and said there have been no problems since opening, he said.

Verstraeten wonders when it’s all supposed to happen and said it will definitely affect his business.

“I’m really going to have to re-think things around here then if this goes through.”

Wall insisted if there was no evidence linking strip clubs to organized crime and human trafficking, they’d have no business intervening.

“Nobody elected us to be the moralizers for the province of Saskatchewan and I don’t want to be. It’s not the job that I want to do. But it is our job to care about those who are most vulnerable, to also try to do what we can to ensure security in the province.”

On that front, Wall was asked why strip clubs with booze are outlawed  but tanning for those under 18 is acceptable, despite repeated warnings from numerous cancer agencies and the World Health Organization on how dangerous they are to the skin of young people.

Wall said his government is “earnestly” considering some kind of legislation. Alberta recently introduced law that would see a ban, making Saskatchewan the only province in Canada without something similar in place.

-With files from CJME’s Kevin Martel and paNOW’s Nigel Maxwell.

news@panow.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow