By Peter Berton

YNOT – Maybe it’s a sign of improving economic times, or perhaps more T-girl admirers are coming out of the closet: Montreal’s TransZen T-girl erotic massage parlor has opened a second location in downtown Toronto.

True, Canadian law allows escort, massage and other erotic services within certain parameters, but still: The T-girl section of the adult entertainment industry seems to be blooming more than other areas. What’s up with that?

We sat down with Canadian T-girl escort Shyla Wild to find out. Wild assumed management of the new Toronto massage operation, bringing with her some of her compatriots from Montreal’s original location.

YNOT.com: Is there a demand for T-girl services in Toronto?

Shyla Wild: The demand for services is very high. TransZen Montreal does very well. Considering that Montreal has roughly one quarter the population of Toronto, it should not be hard to see that Toronto will be able to support the new salon.

We have to remember that the highest concentration of transsexual escorts is based in Toronto. Moreover, if you verify the cities around Toronto as well as most of the cities in southern Ontario, you will find a very interesting trend: 60 percent of the escort population either lives and works in this area or travels to this area for work. Mississauga has the highest number of traveling girls of any city in Canada. If the escorts flock to Toronto and southern Ontario to make money in this area, it should be quite easy to see how profitable this region can be.

Is that why the company opened a spa in Toronto?

Let’s be honest here. Why does any company open its doors? To make money. By the same token, there are very few businesses that hire transsexuals exclusively.

At TransZen Toronto, we provide the girls a safe environment. Many girls lack job experience as well as the basic skills that others of us possess due to our time in the labor force. A large percentage of the transgendered community has never entered the general labor force. This has caused many of them to have many problems holding a job. At TransZen, we try to help the girls by getting them accustomed to a routine as well as the demands of a weekly work schedule.

By the same token, we understand the clients’ need for safety. All girls at Transzen have their STD records available on-site to help ensure clients of their devotion to safety.

In opening our Toronto branch, a lot of work went into picking a location that would be both upscale and discreet for clients. We selected dozens of locations and personally visited each and every one, weighing the pros and cons of each. Finding a location that would offer discretion not only to the business but mainly for our clients was not an easy task. Low-traffic hallways and a discrete entrance that would not require clients to cross unsavory people in hallways or elevators was very important to us.

Give us a little history about TransZen.

TransZen is a transsexual massage salon. The original location opened in October 2010 and since has become a safe and friendly environment in which transsexual women service clients.

First-timers and T-girl veterans alike love TransZen for its low-pressure atmosphere. For a first-timer, the whole escort experience can be very overwhelming. With TransZen, a first-timer has a recognized and tested brand name, with a high standard for professionalism, discretion and privacy.

When you say “services,” what exactly do you mean?

As with all adult massage parlors, salons and spas [in Canada], a full-body massage with “happy ending” is the norm for the business model. Of course, the girls at TransZen are advised to aim high to best serve their clients and to ensure they part with a smile on their face within the confines of the law.

As manager, do you, personally, provide services?

In addition to serving as hostess, madam and manager, I also will be taking clients and using all my abilities to make sure my reputation precedes and follows me. Over time, as I train new girls, I will be moving away from the service aspect and towards the management side.

How did you become manager?

I have been a friend of the owner since my first days in the TS community. Even when I was in the early stages of my transition, he was always respectful and even defended me many times. I always viewed him as someone that helped the community. His salon gave the girls somewhere to work and something less physically and mental demanding than escorting.

The owner and I worked together on another project [running the largest TS internet community in Quebec] and moved on to other ideas. He approached me mid-2012 and pitched me the idea for the Toronto spa.

Little did I know that by the end of January 2013 I would be offered the position to run the new location. With my reputation as an escort, I have often been told that I should teach others to do what I do concerning professionalism, quality of services rendered and other elements that define the customer service field.

The owner of both salons prefers to handle the main battleship in Montreal. For the Toronto location to work, he needed someone with these qualities, a mastery over both the English and French languages, and experience in the Toronto market. I fulfilled all these requirements as well as shared his vision for TransZen and helped reduce his stress on many levels.

Do you see TransZen growing into a national chain?

Without a doubt, this is one of the company’s goals. We have discussed the possibility of expanding further into other Canadian markets, but first we have to ensure that our second location is as popular and as profitable as the first.

We always have to walk before we run. When TransZen Montreal opened its doors two years ago, it learned how to walk. Now it’s time for TransZen to learn how to run.