ROTHENBURGER – Strip clubs are dead, thanks to attitudes and technology

STRIP CLUBS, or “peeler bars” as some call them, are, it seems, officially dead in Kamloops. Few will mourn their demise but they were certainly part of an interesting and lively era in River City.

The Duchess was the last holdout, for years being the only remaining place in the ‘Loops where those so-inclined could go to drink beer and watch women take their clothes off and dance around a pole on stage.

Sale of the Duchess to the City along with the Northbridge sealed its fate. Former councillor Nancy Bepple tweeted, “With the sale of the Duchess nightclub, strip clubs are gone in #kamloops. Zoning changes made about 10 years ago no longer allow adult entertainment in pubs/ cabarets/ nightclubs/ lounges.”

In 2013, I prematurely wrote an obituary on the Duchess and strip clubs in general (‘Last strip show will mark end of an era’). It’s only appropriate that I update said obituary.

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Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.