Chickabiddybex

fuckyeahtoronto:

Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti is urging city council crack the whip on brothel licensing in the wake of Monday’s landmark prostitution ruling.

“We have to have this debate, there is no question in my mind,” Mammoliti told the Sun Tuesday.

The Court of Appeal decision delivered Monday struck down Canada’s bawdy house provisions as unconstitutional and amended the pimping provisions of the Criminal Code so that only those exploiting hookers will be prosecuted.

Mammoliti — who floated the idea of creating a Toronto red-light district during his mayoral campaign in 2010 — was quick to pounce on the judgment, urging council to be open to the idea of zoning one spot for prostitution, like the Toronto islands, to avoid brothels setting up across the city.

“Traditionally these places — and there is a lot of them, about 3,000 in the city — for the most part you haven’t been able to see in their windows. I think you’re going to start seeing the windows opened up now that they are legal,” Mammoliti said.

“I think you are going to start seeing women kind of advertising for people to come in … communities now are going to say, ‘What the hell just happened?’

“When they see that they’ll want us to dialogue and figure out how to get them out of their local neighbourhood.”

Mammoliti said it is time for council to consider brothel licences, which he estimates could be priced at around $100,000, and then creating a zoning pattern to address where they can go in the city.

“I’ve always suggested we bring them as far away from the city as possible,” he said. “Of course (the island) is an option, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be. Why is my neighbourhood an option and the island not?”

Last year Mammoliti’s call for the Toronto Islands to become a red-light district was laughed off by local Councillor Pam McConnell.

McConnell, whose ward includes the islands, called the idea “absurd.”

“I wish that Councillor Mammoliti had enough work in his own ward and had things to talk about … that made sense to people,” McConnell told the Sun at the time. “Turning one of the greenest and most beautiful parks of our city, the iconic park of our city, into a red-light district is totally absurd and he should go back to taking his shirt off again because he is making a joke of himself.”

I swear to God if they try to turn those beautiful islands into a red light district I’ll get on a plane and go protest myself!! For God’s sake - can you imagine the ferry journey out there? How awkward.