Saskatoon

Don Verstraeten, bar owner, 'shocked' by Saskatchewan's plans to ban stripping again

Codette Hotel has featured strippers since Jan. 2014

Don Verstraeten is surprised by Premier Brad Wall's plans to make stripping illegal once again in Saskatchewan.

The owner of the Codette Hotel, which was one of the first bars in the province to feature near-nude dancers in January 2014, said the news was a "real eye-opener."

"I'm as shocked as the rest of Saskatchewan," he told Blue Sky host Garth Materie. "It's really too bad."

Wall said the government made a mistake by allowing partial stripping. He said the links to human trafficking and organized crime are too serious to turn a blind eye.

Verstraeten said the town, which is about 10 kilometres south of Nipawin, is OK with having a bar that features strippers and he hasn't had any problems.

"It's been really, really positive," he said. "It's just a great little place."