Not in my red-light district

>> Residents' outrage kills the city's pilot project on prostitution, but problems linger

By GEMMA WILSON

Last Thursday evening, under the soft glow of Christmas lights adorning the altar of Sainte-Brigide's Parish, hundreds of residents hurled abuse at City councillors over the proposed pilot pro-ject for prostitutes in the Ste-Marie and St-Jacques districts southeast of downtown Montreal. And due to public pressure--which came in the form of letters, phone calls, taunts, jeers and even bomb threats--the city was forced to pull the plug on the project.

And yet, from its very inception, the decriminalization project was meant to address the problems of residents and prostitutes alike--problems that haven't gone away. "The concerns that residents have are not with the prostitutes themselves but what is around them and what often accompanies their presence," says Karen Herland, the project's co-ordinator.

The pilot project was the result of seven years of hard work and consultations with police, prostitutes and community groups to come up with a solution that would meet everyone's needs. Under the proposed plan, arrests would be replaced by a coordinated effort involving both police and social workers to provide assistance to street workers.

Hunting for hookers

The incentive for the project stemmed from the 1993 "hooker hunts," in which prostitutes and pimps were attacked by angry residents trying to clean up their neighbourhoods. Following those incidents, residents representing some 55 different groups came together to discuss possible solutions to the problem. Yet, at Thursday's meeting, most of the complaints voiced by residents concerned the lack of transparency and consultation in the process.

"The needs of citizens have always been a priority," says Herland, who describes the project as an attempt to take a community approach--rather than a police approach--to the whole issue of prostitution. "There have always been two main issues," she says. "First, to improve the quality of life and safety in the neighbourhoods. Second, to address the problems of the prostitutes--and repression does not do that. They need support."

Most people at Thursday's meeting vehemently disagreed. Some residents called on the police to apply the laws that already exist. Others felt that the withdrawal of the project now provided the city and police with an excuse not to do anything.

Most likely, it means a return to fines and nights in prison for committing lewd acts. Notes Herland: "A $150 fine does not solve the problem. They are on the street in the first place because of a financial need. A night in jail and a fine only puts them back on the street the next day."

Either way, it looks like residents and prostitutes will have to learn to live together a while longer. In the meantime, Darlene, president of the sex workers' rights group Stella, gave those at Thursday's meeting something to think about: "We are not toxic waste. We are women." :

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