Canadian sex workers could be forced to ‘risk their lives’ if C-36 is passed, escort service owner says

TORONTO — If you work for Jillian Hollander, she says, you will be eligible for educational bursaries, RRSP matching, and discounts on plastic surgery if you need a confidence boost.

But working for Ms. Hollander would mean becoming a sex worker. She owns and runs Cupid’s Escorts, Toronto’s biggest, employing 40 prostitutes.

In layman’s terms she’s a pimp; Ms. Hollander describes herself as a madame. The prostitution industry described by the Conservative government and supporters of its Bill C-36 during parliamentary hearings this week, she says, is not the prostitution industry she works in.

An escort service

“I run a high-end introduction service,” says Ms. Hollander (and no, that’s not her real name). “I screen the clients and set up dates. I encourage the women to pursue their education by providing bursary programs. I encourage them to think about their futures by doing RRSP matching, and I have plastic surgery discounts for those that want to feel a bit better about themselves. I ensure their security, I take care of their marketing, and make sure they’re treated with the respect that they deserve.”

If Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, is passed, Ms. Hollander’s company will be in violation of the law for selling sexual services and advertising those services on the Internet.

“My head’s been spinning for the past two weeks as I come to the realization of how this will affect me,” says Ms. Hollander. “I find it ridiculous that the Conservatives want to create laws for us without even consulting us and how we feel.”

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