I'd be curious to know what the cops are thinking of this.
How much does it cost to investigate a massage studio, gather evidence and arrest the owners and staff? All of this for what? A few months' probation?
I remember when I was young, they were busting massage places all the time. They stopped at some point, because it was probably pointless.
Law enforcement budget has been better used in the past years to fight street gangs, criminal bikers and would be better used to fight real women exploitation (i.e. forced prostitution and human trafficking) who account for a tiny minority of prostitution cases but are a real problem that should be not tolerated.
Street gangs might be more prevalent in Montreal now than 20 years ago... at least, they are in Toronto and Vancouver. The authorities should be concerned by that. And remember Operation Printemps 2001? These guys are getting out of jail now, maybe we should keep them in check or less we might find ourselves in the same situation as the mid-90s, i.e. bikers wars and a kid getting killed by a bomb in Hochelaga.
i think the attitude in general towards prostitution (which is legal) is one of tolerance in the Canadian society, even amongst people who don't pay for these services: it bothers very few people, just like the strippers' clubs. As a general rule, it bothers citizens when it's located too close from a school or daycare. As for customers going in and out of these places, no matter where they located, it's less a disturbance for the neighborhood than a depanneur or grocery store opened late, or pretty much any business for that matter.
What harm does a massage parlor cause to Montreal's citizens, the Quebec population in general or individuals working in the field? Not much. Who talked about this in the recent electoral campaign, apart from Anie Samson? Have the other candidates been questioned about it? No, because it is not a priority for our population and should not be a priority for the new administration.
Exploitation is unacceptable. We should absolutely eliminate it. But saying that exploitation is a widespread phenomena is a lie, it's nothing more than a attempt to create a moral panic.
