Council peels back the layers of a 20-year-old adult entertainment bylaw

Burlesque performers in an undated image. (Ian Campbell/CTV News)

Barrie city councillors are reconsidering how ‘burlesque dancing‘ is treated under the city’s Adult Entertainment Bylaw. A move that could separate it from other forms of adult entertainment.

At Wednesday’s committee meeting, Barrie councillors discussed the motion related to the bylaw established in 2005. The proposal involved dissecting how other municipalities have distinguished burlesque from other forms of adult entertainment, like stripping.

The idea to push this forward was sparked from a local burlesque group that was recently prevented from holding a performance due to how the current bylaw is written.

While the bylaw does not specifically mention burlesque, it defines Adult Entertainment Establishment – Class B as: “Any venue offering entertainment that is designed to arouse or result in an erotic or sexual response” - language which has tied burlesque into the same stigma associated with more explicit forms of adult entertainment.

During the meeting, Bryn Hamilton, Ward 10 councillor, expressed concern about the focus of the discussion. “I read this, and I will say that I was a little taken aback as to why this was something we were discussing,” said Hamilton. “I revisited the committee’s terms of reference and objective just to understand the driving reason behind this.”

Ward 4 councillor Amy Courser emphasized the importance of updating the 20-year-old bylaw to distinguish burlesque from other forms of adult entertainment. “There is a distinct difference between burlesque and stripping. The style is completely different. Burlesque is vintage, playful, artistic. It’s absolutely a celebration of the woman’s body,” Courser said. “Many municipalities have already modernized the language of their bylaws.”

This raised the question if adult-themed performances should remain under the same regulations.

Clare Riepma, Ward 1 councillor, addressed the bylaw’s language, noting how burlesque is accepted as a legitimate art form in many municipalities. “Apparently burlesque is a form of art and there is quite an arts community that is very supportive of this,” said Riepma. “They would like to operate here in Barrie.”

Jason Forgrave, supervisor of enforcement services, noted that the local studio which regularly performs burlesque in public with ticketed events encountered issues due to the bylaw’s language. “The bylaw doesn’t mention burlesque, but it does talk to the nature of the act and the reaction from the crowd,” Forgrave said. “That’s where our interpretation and enforcement has come from.”

Courser proposed modernizing the bylaw and reflecting on the evolving understanding of what ‘adult entertainment’ means to the City of Barrie.

Council was in favor of this decision and the motion will be passed along to the Finance and Responsible Governance Committee.