A sold-out male strip show styled after the Hollywood blockbuster “Magic Mike” has been cancelled in the Fraser Valley, leaving let down customers cursing local bylaws.
Canadian Playboyz, a male entertainment company, was forced to axe a planned April 23 show at The Station Pub in Abbotsford over a city ban on exotic dancing in bars.
“We’re sorry about that,” owner Brad Alexander told CTV News. “We can’t really do anything when they have these laws in place though. Even though they’re outdated we still have to follow them.”
The event was part of a Magic Mike Ladies Night tour, and organizers said there will be shows the same week in Langley and Aldergrove.
Alexander said they’re also looking at finding a replacement venue for April 23.
“Not in Abbotsford though, obviously,” he said.
Under Abbotsford’s bylaw, which has been in place since 1997, stripping or exotic dancing is prohibited in any venue with a liquor license. Breaking it carries a minimum fine of $1,000.
Everyone who purchased a ticket to the Abbotsford show will be receiving a refund, according to Canadian Playboyz, but the disappointment has still left some fans blasting the bylaw as unnecessarily old-fashioned.
“Thanks Abbotsford for reminding us all of how dull and boring this city really is,” one woman said on Facebook.
“Maybe we should ban bathing suits too cause it shows too much skin for some Abby residents,” wrote another.
Alexander said Abbotsford’s law is just one of several targeting exotic dancing that his company has run into across Canada.
“In North Bay, Ont. they don’t allow males or females to show nipples, so we have to put tape or something over our nipples,” he said.
In other areas where only the act of stripping is illegal, his group can sometimes get by dancing without actually removing clothing in front of the crowd, Alexander added.
“It happens from time to time in different areas of the country, so it is what it is,” he said. “We cater to whatever the laws are.”
The Station Pub did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
