By Thia James

Codette Hotel shuts down bikini dancer show

Apr 25, 2015 | 9:07 AM

Friday night was supposed to be a big one for The Codette Hotel, featuring a bikini dancer named Lexxi Lee, coming all the way from Edmonton.

She performed a partial striptease the week before, but this weekend was to be her first bikini show. The striptease show went really well for the hotel. Then, the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) sent letters warning of inspections.

This is because she’d be stripping down to her bikini, and it is against SLGA’s rule to serve liquor during strip tease performances.

“That was our last big hurrah,” the hotel’s owner Don Verstraeten said on Friday morning. Lee went to Regina to see her daughter before returning to the hotel for the bikini weekend show.

“But now we can’t even get away with that. So, we’re just ‘oh, OK good,’” he added.

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The hotel has had to find alternate means to entertain its guests since the Saskatchewan Government re-enacted its ban on stripteases at licenced establishments. The new law allowing striptease performances had come into effect on Jan. 1, 2014.

Late last month, however, the province reversed course. Premier Brad Wall announced that the government would be changing the law, and tweeted:

Today we reversed our mistake to allow strip clubs in SK. Any increase in opp for org crime or exploitation of young women is not worth it.

— Brad Wall (@PremierBradWall) March 25, 2015

Verstraeten said the SLGA told him that the new regulations went through and “effective immediately, you are done.”

“I can’t really argue with the government too much,” he concluded. Not being able to replace the striptease with the bikini show will “cut him right off,” he said.

“That’s the draw. Like, that’s what brings the kids in. And now we’re kind of just holding [our] breath and seeing what’s going to happen with all this. It’s kind of a disappointment, alright.”

On Friday night, he said the stage would be empty. The plan changed and Lee waitressed – wearing a bikini.

In terms of entertainment, the hotel is booking bands, and Verstraeten said future weekends could feature comedians or magicians or a hypnotist. He said they’re going to do different things to try to get people out to visit the hotel.

“It’s really taken the wind out of my sails, for sure.”

The striptease ban itself has had its own negative effects on Verstraeten’s business. He spent $30,000 to renovate the bar and re-open the bar after it sat closed for more than two years. He paid to have a stage built, a pole installed, a new bar and had pictures of women airbrushed on the walls to turn it into a strip club.

Now, Verstraeten is going to give up the three video lottery terminals at his business. He said they generated $25,000 last year.

“I’m going to cut them (the government) off at the knees too. I’m just going to say ‘here’s your VLTs, take them back.’”

David Morris, communications manager with the SLGA, explained that the new law prohibits stripping in liquor-permitted establishments.

“What the change is that stripping is no longer allowed as a regular entertainment activity,” he said.

He added that they do have inspectors who visit establishments to ensure issues related to public safety are being upheld.

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames