N.B. spa that wanted to host body positivity event told they need exotic entertainment licence

By Rebecca Lau Suzanne Lapointe

The co-owners of a Nordic spa in rural New Brunswick are taken aback by backlash over an event they had scheduled for last week, and the province’s labelling of it as “exotic entertainment.”

Hope-Wellness Eco-Resort, located in Edgett’s Landing, N.B., has hosted private events twice before where a small number of women enjoy the spa’s facilities topless — and had no issues.

“It’s just very liberating. You don’t care about what your bathing suit looks like. There’s no judgment. Everyone in the community that comes is very much on the same page,” said co-owner Ashley Ward.

Ward and co-owner Katie Carson were surprised to see negative online responses to this latest event but were undeterred until they received a call from the province’s gaming control and licensing services department, which handles liquor licences.

Carson says a week before the event, an employee from the department informed them they had received complaints about the event and asked them to confirm whether women would be allowed to go topless.

“He basically said, ‘This does not fall in the regulations of your liquor licensing. If you move forward with the event, there will be repercussions,’” she recalled.

Carson requested an email outlining the rules so she and Ward could make an informed decision on how to proceed.

They decided to cancel the event two days prior since they still hadn’t received clarification from the province, which they say was disappointing for those who had bought tickets.

The day before the now-cancelled event was set to take place, Carson and Ward received an email that further clarified they would be violating regulations if they went ahead. They were told they could apply for an exotic entertainment licence — the same kind that is required for strip clubs.

Under the province’s liquor licensing regulations, an entertainment/exotic licence is required for live entertainment within an existing liquor-licensed establishment.

The fee for an exotic entertainment licence is $750.

Carson says paying for that licence would be a form of “backing down” at this point, because they don’t feel their event is an “exotic experience.”

As well, she says it feels as if applying for the licence is a “trap” because they were told it’s unlikely to be approved.

“They just said nothing’s been done like this before and typically, it would not be approved,” she said.

The owners say they offered to close the bar for the day of the event, but were told that was insufficient. A further email from the department said they could cancel their existing liquor licence if they didn’t feel it met their business needs.

Carson says the fact the event was deemed “entertainment” was the most upsetting part of their discussions, because it unfairly portrayed what the women were trying to achieve.

“We honestly felt as if it was very sexist because we don’t need a specific licence here at the spa for men to take their tops off. But in this case, we could potentially get fined for women having that option,” she said.

“This kind of moved beyond our little event. It became so much more than that. We’re here to try to make changes so that other spas or other places (can be where) women can feel comfortable without thinking that this is exotic.”

Under the Criminal Code, it is not illegal for women to be topless in Canada, unless they are involved in an “indecent act.”

When the co-owners posted a video to social media explaining why they cancelled the event, they received supportive messages from around the world.

“We want things to be reviewed so that the government and (department of justice and public safety) can take into account that not every woman with their top off is exotic,” said Carson.

“That it’s very natural, that it is completely within our rights.”

Global News reached out to the provincial government for comment but did not receive a response by deadline.

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