One of the businesses left unlicensed by Newmarket’s new massage parlour bylaw has now gone defunct after dropping an appeal against the municipality.
VIP RMT Wellness Centre had appealed the denial of a business licence under the controversial bylaw, which put more stringent requirements on alternative massage businesses. But the business dropped its appeal ahead of June 20 committee date and has since left the community, replaced by a new business.
The bylaw aimed to curb alternative massage businesses the town believed were causing issues and partaking in illicit conduct, namely sexual services.
“Newmarket created the personal wellness establishment regulations to do what’s in our control as a municipality to regulate the lawful conduct of businesses within our community,” the municipality said regarding VIP’s closure. “The town will continue to enforce our PWE regulations to support our law-abiding businesses and allow them to thrive in our community.”
The town passed the bylaw in 2021 and began enforcement in 2022, affecting all massage businesses not using registered massage therapists. It requires businesses to provide more details on their operations and introduced an educational requirement for workers from an accredited institution or recognized organization.
Although some businesses were successfully licensed under the new systems, others were not. VIP filed an appeal with the town for the denial of its licence, but its case has taken months to be heard by the town appeal committee. The committee has been occupied with another alternative massage business appealing a licence denial, Top Health, which the committee has yet to render a decision.
A new business, Lavender Health Spa, is now occupying the former location of VIP at the 17120 Leslie St. plaza. Owner Siaoquin Long said she entered the property through an agent, and said she was unaware of the former business.
The previous telephone number for VIP is the telephone number for Lavender.
“VIP RMT Wellness Centre did not provide any reasons for the withdrawal of its appeal,” the municipality said.
With the cancellation of the hearing, the town’s evidence for denying VIP’s licence is not being publicly litigated.
In the case of Top Health, the town has said it has found Top Health associated with sexual services online, although Top Health’s lawyer has pushed back on that and said the evidence is not concrete.
The bylaw has garnered opposition from legal organizations and Asian and migrant sex worker advocacy group Butterfly, who have said it unfairly targets Asian-owned businesses.
Butterfly did not respond to a request for comment before the publication deadline.
Newmarket council has said the businesses have garnered complaints, with the mayor and council expressing concern for illicit sex work they said was happening in them. Deputy Mayor Tom Vegh said in a 2021 council meeting that they want “to drive it out of our town.”
With VIP’s case closed, Top Health’s appeal is the only remaining publicly disclosed legal challenge to the bylaw.
