Truth laid bare

>> Secret nudist rendez-vous exposed in cutback mêlée

by KRISTIAN GRAVENOR

Photo by Jason Felker

Not everybody knew that for the last four years, anybody with a tenner could show up at the downtown YWCA after closing hours on Sunday night and hang out naked with people like Jean-François Audet, Quebec’s nudist association prez. The Y wanted the 7–10 p.m. meetings kept discreet for fear it might offend prudish donors or members uneducated to the simple pleasures of bare-ass bathing. The nudists happily complied because, says Audet, “Renting a pool or a place for nudism on the weekend isn’t easy. People have prejudices.”

But as the fitness centre closed at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays and the nudists took over the facilities only half an hour later, one can imagine that the cat wouldn’t stay in the bag forever. So one evening in February, a downtown phone company worker finished her workout at 6:30 and hit the showers, only to find herself departing down stairs lined with eager nudes. As she walked the gauntlet of naked bodies, a female nudist cracked wise to the uncomfortable lass, apparently telling her that she “had just missed a great show.”
The woman complained and was given an extra free month’s membership. Y brass took measures to ensure that such an embarrassing overlap wouldn’t recur.

A few weeks later, however, the member, who doesn’t want to be identified for fear the Y may ban her, was informed that members would henceforth be required to leave the facilities at 4 p.m. On weekday evenings the fitness centre would be closed at 8 p.m. rather than 10 p.m.

A petition was circulated to oppose the new, shorter hours. Opponents of the new operating hours, who asked that their names not be printed for the same reason, have accused the YWCA of acting arbitrarily and changing the terms of the paid memberships. Others suspect that cutting the weekend hours might partially be to ensure no more crossings of paths between normal members and the great unclad.

YWCA fitness centre manager Debbie Loiseau says the reduction of hours in the workout room was necessitated by dire financial conditions faced by the facility. She has since offered to close weekdays at 9 p.m. but has so far not budged on weekends. “I’m very aware that the services we offer are important to the women of Montreal and I don’t want to cut those services. But I want people to be aware that this health and fitness centre is in difficulty,” says Loiseau.

Loiseau says that the discovery of nudists is unrelated to cutbacks. She says the nudists have posed no difficulties since they started renting the place. “They’re just regular people who feel liberated being undressed,” she says.

According to the member who organized the petition of over 80 names, no one has expressed outrage at the presence of nudists, but several have speculated that it might offend members with strong religious beliefs. But the nudists preach mutual honour. “We respect others in their traditions. Conversely, we should be respected in our beliefs and habits,” says Audet, who stresses that there are no sexual connotations in the practice of nudism. :