The owner of a local adult massage parlour is speaking out about an industry that is often very private and hidden in the shadows.
"Nobody wants to come forward and be on camera and talk to people because we're already getting judged before you even meet us," says Sammi, who is the owner of a local body rub centre.
In January, the city allowed the industry to operate on a 24 hour basis however, on Tuesday, city council passed a bylaw, restricting hours from 7am to 11pm.
The new restricted hours are not welcomed by Sammi. Her parlour used to be open from 9am to 1am, which she says allowed flexibility for her staff members.
"It benefited for the girls who have kids," she explains adding, "Also for the girls who are in school. I have a lot of staff who are in school and they can't get here until later in the evening."
Sammi thinks the changes are causing the industry to move backwards, pushing more young girls to the streets and illegal activity.
"It's safer to have three girls working inside of a building than standing out on the streets alone."
For those who monitor the industry, restricting hours of operation is about safety and preventing exploitation.
"There's just so many risks involved by opening it up unlimited hours, 24 hours a day," says Detective Ken Brander with Edmonton Police Services Vice section.
He says limiting hours will give officers the tools they need to monitor what happens behind closed doors.
"The problem with massage parlours, we know, is that it is a recruiting place for prostitution and it is one of the centres where human trafficking gets easily activated, and people are lured into the business through these parlours," explains Jacqueline Linder with the Chrysalis Anti-Human Trafficking Network.
A problem within the industry is that when women become involved, it can be difficult to leave. There is support for those who want to leave however, Linder believes there should be more funding for that support, as well as for mental health services. She says there is also a need for better communication between support agencies.
"Having a safe house where you can actually get in, pick up a victim and put her in a safe place requires a lot of complex helping between agencies in Edmonton right now. We do not have a wrap-around approach."
Linder says another problem with body rub parlours is that while they appear to be perfectly legal on the outside, you never know what's going on behind closed doors.
Sammi says she runs her business by the rules. She prides herself on spending a lot of one on one time with her girls, in order to keep communication open and ensure their safety. As a business owner, Sammi says she pays her bills and taxes and would like to see that money going towards the bad areas of the industry, and to stop other business owners who abuse the rules.
For more information on the rules surrounding body rub centres, visit the city of Edmonton's website.
With files from Vinesh Pratap.
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