TORONTO, CANADA — Never underestimate the power of a bureaucracy to makes its impact felt far from its point of origin. A case in point is the Toronto civic workers strike – and an assortment of strippers who may just find themselves in trouble with the law because of it.Tim Lambrinos of the Adult Entertainment Association of Canada alerted 21 clubs that they and any dancers whose licenses have expired may soon find themselves on the ugly end of the law, assuming they want to keep working or remain in business.
Due to the strike, dancers have been unable to renew their license. Apparently, they’re supposed to just sit back and take some time off without pay.
Given that the utility bills don’t take holidays off, taking a vacation is clearly not an option for many erotic performers who’d like to remain within the boundaries of the law.
According to Lambrinos, that’s just too bad, because the Toronto Police or bylaw officers are likely to bring the hammer of that law down hard on the more than 100 of the area’s 1,200 dancers who need to renew their licenses.
“The dancers can receive a conviction if they get charged,” he told the Toronto Sun, adding that “They are only allowed six infractions for a year.”
Fortunately for those performers, Lambrinos and his association believe that any charges would not survive a court appearance due to the strike’s impact. Given that dancers and clubs can receive a fine of more than $500 for working without a valid license, this is a serious financial concern, especially at a time when business is down 15-percent in some clubs.
Dancers must renew their $350 licenses annually on their birthday and pass a criminal background check.
