A1

Miramichi Leader staff

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

A night club which recently opened up just outside the city limits features exotic dancers and private dances, even though it does not have an Exotic Entertainment License.

The Exotic River Lounge opened in July after receiving a liquor license from the provincial Public Safety Department. The club was the focus of protests by clergy and community groups when it was announced it would open in the old legion building in South Nelson.

Southwest Miramichi MLA Rick Brewer, who's riding the club is situated in, said he was surprised to hear girls were dancing and offering private dances at the club.

He said he spoke with Public Safety Minister John Foran about the club and was told they can not legally have exotic dancers working there.

"My understanding is that they do have a liquor license but they don't have an exotic entertainment license," Brewer said.

Matt Jones at Communications New Brunswick confirmed the club does not have a license to feature dancers.

"All they have is a regular liquor license," Jones said.

A Miramichi Leader reporter visited Exotic River two weeks ago. The club is clean and new looking with lavender walls and wood trim with tables and chairs situated on the floor between a bar at the back wall and a small stage, complete with a metal pole, along the wall to the right as you enter the club.

There is a partition which a booth is built in for larger groups. Behind it is a sparse area. On one end is the washroom area and then a curtained off area.

On this night there were less than a dozen customers in the club. Upon entering a man in a white shirt approaches to collect the $5 cover charge. There were four women who appeared to be working on this night — three black women and one white.

The women, wearing lingerie, mingle with the customers talking to them and offering private dances in the back curtained off area. No alcohol is allowed in the back room where partial nude dances are performed and customers are allowed to touch the women anywhere except in their vaginal area. The women also touch the men, including rubbing and groping their crotches.

On the stage one of the women danced around the pole, swinging off it while mouthing the words of the songs playing. When each song ended she would leave the stage and come back wearing fewer clothes, ending her turn on the stage in a matching black bra and panties set.

Enteries on a Facebook page of club supporters also discusses the women who work there.

One person writes on Friends of the Exotic River Lounge "Been there 4 times. I give it a 7/10, Some decent girls, others are fillers. It's open wednesday-sun until 2am. Not sure when it opens. Non-nude but the private dances are great."

Rev. Gary Churchill is one of the community leaders who help organize several meetings and protests over the club. He said if something illegal is going on it should be reported.

"It's open but it's only open as a bar or it's suppose to be. If it's anything else it should be reported to the police because that's all it was licensed for," he said.

Const. Paul Melanson said to his knowledge District 5 RCMP have not received any complaints about the club.