What Bylaws in Medicine Hat Affect Sex Workers?

This blog was written by Kayla Smith, Outreach Worker, Medicine Hat Support Services. 

SafeLink Alberta is committed to serving our key populations. As part of carrying out our mission and vision, we support a rights-based perspective on sex work and provide support services to sex workers. As an organization, we recognize that sex work is a choice for many, and we respect the rights of adults to make this choice. We also recognize that for some, factors such as poverty or exploitation can put people into situations where they don’t have control.

It is important to know not only the federal and provincial laws when it comes to sex work, but also your local municipal laws. This blog will highlight some key parts of Medicine Hat’s Escort Bylaw (Bylaw 3472) for our community in Medicine Hat.

You can find the entirety of Bylaw 3472 here: https://www.medicinehat.ca/en/government-and-city-hall/bylaws.aspx#Business-and-development

About Medicine Hat Bylaw 3472

In this bylaw, an “escort” is an individual who charges or receives a fee or any other compensation for acting as a date or providing personal companionship. Per the bylaw, “no person operating an agency shall advertise anything that suggests or indicates that the service provided includes any form of sexual favours, sexual gratification, sexual relations, or sexual intercourse.”

The Escort Bylaw is not technically a sex work bylaw but rather a bylaw about paid dating services.

It is important to highlight that sex work is also a broad term, and there are a lot of complex emotional labour services providers perform when they provide dating services. Escorting may include sexual aspects, and it may not.

This blog provides a summary of Bylaw 3472, which may affect or be applied to sex workers. This is a legal document, and in the context of this bylaw, escorts can only provide dating and companionship services.

To apply for a license, you need:

• family name and all given names
• date of birth
• residence address
• residence phone number
• agency or agencies through which introduction services are to be received
• other names used by the escort
• current colour photograph

Every escort license expires twelve months from the date it is issued. Escorts must be connected to an agency for introduction services (introducing clients or potential clients to escorts). If you are not connected to an agency, you can also get an Independent Agency License as an individual if you are the only escort receiving introduction services from that agency. This means that you would have to pay the Escort License fee ($250 for a resident or $350 for a non-resident) and an Independent Agency fee of $3,000. If you were to transfer Escort Agencies, that is an additional $150 transfer fee. For an Escort Agency License that would provide introduction services to multiple escorts, the fee is $5,000.

Every application for an escort license is referred to the Medicine Hat Chief of Police. The Chief of Police can investigate at their sole discretion to see if issuing the license would “endanger the safety of people or protection of property.” All agency licenses must be referred to the city’s Planning, Building, and Engineering department.

Every agency must report monthly:

• Family and given names, home phone numbers, and addresses of each escort the agency provided introduction services for.
• Family and given names, home phone numbers, and addresses of each client receiving services that month, INCLUDING driver’s license number or birth certificate registration number. If clients cannot provide those, they must provide some other form of government ID identifying their name and birth.

Licenses can be refused, revoked, or suspended for several reasons covered in part six of Bylaw 3472. Per this bylaw, it is illegal for a person to operate as an escort without holding a valid escort license. A person also cannot operate as an escort without introduction services arranged by a licensed agency. This bylaw was originally passed on May 6, 2003.

It is critical to know your local laws as well as any federal or provincial laws that could impact you. This is particularly important if you are engaging in any type of sex work.

Need Support?  

Shift is a Calgary-based program under SafeLink Alberta that provides support to adults currently or previously engaged in sex work. If you or someone you know needs support, resources, or just someone to talk to, the Shift Program is here to help. For more information, visit SafeLink Alberta or contact the Shift Program directly here:

https://safelinkalberta94957.e.wpstage.net/shift

Learn More About SafeLink Alberta and Sex Work

SafeLink Alberta is a non-profit organization that has been serving and advocating for priority populations in Calgary and southern Alberta since 1983. Our mission is to reduce the risks associated with sexual activity and substance use through education, non-judgmental services and programming.

We believe that everyone deserves access to healthcare services, regardless of their background or lifestyle. That’s why we prioritize underserved communities and those who are most at risk for HIV, hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections.

SafeLink Alberta supports the removal of removal of sanctions from sex work in Canada. You can read our full position here.

Take our Sex Work Training Series

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the sex work community with our engaging three-part workshop series. These sessions provide a thorough overview of who sex workers are, explore the complexities of the laws and legislation impacting them, and examine how stigma affects their lives. By participating, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to support and stand in solidarity with the sex work community. Join us to challenge misconceptions, broaden your perspective, and become an effective ally.

Check out our KTT on Sex Work and Labour Rights:

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