When an undercover volunteer visited the Water Club in the penthouse of the Radisson Hotel this summer, manager Paul said that 25 women worked there and offered full body massage -- including masturbation.
More than three months later, the Water Club remains open. CTV News recently paid another undercover visit, and found that little has changed.
The hotel told CTV News in a statement that it expected the city to act quickly against the club after the hidden-camera investigation aired in June. Authorities were already familiar with the Water Club, which was shut down for two months in March for bylaw violations. On one occasion, staff refused to allow police inside the club. On another, a naked female employee and a customer were found inside. City officials say they can only take action against the Water Club when they have clear evidence that it has violated bylaws relating to body rub parlours.
Meanwhile, the City of Richmond has shut down an acupuncture clinic that was issuing medical receipts for sexual services. In June, an undercover volunteer visited KK Acupuncture in Richmond, which advertised online under the adult category and said that it accepts insurance.
Not only did staff members at the so-called Chinese medicine centre offer "hand jobs" and "prostate massages," but they also said it would be okay to claim them as acupuncture to be covered by MSP or a health plan. After the CTV News report aired, the city contacted KK Acupuncture and told the centre that its business licence application was being denied.
