North America’s first known sex-doll brothel opening in Toronto
Toronto will soon be home to North America’s first known sex doll brothel, offering sexual services with six silicone-made dolls.
According to the website for Aura Dolls, the company behind the brothel, the vision is to bring a new way to achieve sexual needs “without the many restrictions and limitations that a real partner may come with.”
The brothel is expected to open in a shopping plaza on Yonge St., south of Sheppard Ave., on Sept. 8. The company doesn’t give the exact location on its website, stating it’s announced upon booking.
There are six different female sex dolls advertised. “Exotic girls to cater to everyone’s choice of beauty,” the website reads.
“We tried really hard to try to cater to every single standard of beauty, we have different ethnicity, different eye colours, different hair colour,” said Claire Lee, a representative for Aura Dolls. The company said they plan on expanding their collection “in the near future,” and will add male dolls.
The dolls are made of silicone, which is designed to give them a realistic look and feel, she said. In order to sanitize the dolls, Lee said a three-step routine is used after each booking.
However, staff still “highly recommend” the use of condoms, according to the website.
Spending half an hour with one doll costs $80, with two dolls running $160. For an hour, the cost is $120 with one doll. The maximum listed time is four hours for $480 per doll.
Doors at the new brothel for separate entry and exit will be used to ensure “maximum privacy for customers.” While the business does plan on having staff on-site, they “should not have any interaction,” Lee said.
“The reason why we do that is to make sure that everyone feels comfortable coming in and exiting,” she said, noting that people may feel shy or awkward about visiting the site.
A spokesperson for the city confirmed Monday evening that they have “no record of a municipal business licence” for the establishment.
However, Lee said that the business is operating within the law. “The only law stating with anything to do with the dolls is that it has to meet a height requirement. It can’t resemble a child,” she said. “We made sure that all their dolls fit the criteria and don’t resemble children.”
Coun. John Filion, Ward 23 Willowdale, said his staff will be “throwing the book at (Aura Dolls) for everything they can.”
“I’ve still got people studying to see what’s legal and what isn’t,” Filion said. He noted that a bylaw introduced in North York in the ’90s prevents retail sex shops operating outside of industrial areas. Filion said his office is still confirming that the bylaw is active following harmonization, which condensed the six boroughs’ bylaws after amalgamation in 1998.