Known mainly for being a Canadian business and culture hub, Toronto also has a reputation for being a straight-as-an-arrow city. Simply put: It’s not a destination choice for Canadians seeking a sinfully sexy time; nothing comparable here to the topless breakfast joints and car washes of Montreal, nor the tie-me-up tie-me-down scene of Vancouver. Still, Toronto may not be as prudish as is often assumed. The city does boast (a seeming perma-influx of) sleazy undercover rub-and-tug parlors, bawdy houses and seedy swingers bars… not that any self-respecting Torontonian would ever step foot in such places. Because DailyXY is not that kind of magazine, we have dug up a list of Toronto’s sexiest hangouts that do not fall under the XXX category.
Shop
Take your favourite lady for a pleasurable shopping trip in Richmond Hill of a Sunday and explore the upscale aisles of Dick and Jane Romance Boutique. Unlike typical sex mercantile destinations, Dick and Jane offers a “safe, clean and inviting environment” for all your shopping needs, from lingerie and apparel (costumes, swimwear, shoes), to massage oils and lotions, cards and books, sexual wellness products, games, chocolates, etc. The shop also offers a series of serious, educational seminars; topics include “Sex Toys 101,” “Oral Sex: Tricks and Tips” and “Dressing Up and the Empowerment of Role Playing.” Pick up the Aphrodisiac Cook Book and some colour coordinating fetish wear, and head home and spend a night-in cooking. 10216 Yonge St., Richmond Hill, 905-508-0110.
Celebrate
Now that you’ve purchased the right gear, you can find countless places to use it with a quick Google search: Toronto Fetish Night. Be warned: Not all hits are reputable; be discriminating and careful. For an event guaranteed to be on the up and up, book the annual Church Street Fetish Fair in your calendar. The CSVF is definitely the most provocative festival in the city. A 10-hour event that takes place every August along Church Street, it’s a celebration of sexual freedom. Find a marketplace of vendors selling leather whips, jock straps, kilts and whips. Games are set up from Alexander Street to Gloucester Street including a mechanical bull and a Ferris Wheel equipped with a DJ playing techno music and woman dancing on-beat. The festival is Toronto’s only “continuum of sexual fantasy and freedom of expression from leather to lace.” Email infoATchurchwellesleyvillageDOTca, 416-393-6363.
Swing
Has the Fetish Fair left you feeling sexually liberated and adventurous? Lucky for you Toronto is a huge participant in Canada’s legal (since 2005) swinger scene, with clubs and bars opening all over the city. Alas, quantity does not equate to quality. Unless you want to spend your night of sexual exploration among the city’s most unsightly, make sure the club you choose enforces strict rules when it comes to admission and etiquette. (There’s a reason that the high-profile places like Oasis Aqualounge, Missisauga’s X Club and downtown’s Club M4 have spotty reputations.) Queen Street West’s Wicked Club is probably your safest bet for a fabulously sexy outing: With a strict admission procedure, only Toronto’s “sexiest,” based on not just physical appearance but confidence, are admitted. 1032 Queen Street W, 416-669-5582.
Experiment (and shop more)
Now is the perfect time to spice up your bedroom routine because, this week, Queen Street’s favourite sex-boutique, Come as You Are, reopened at a new, bold 1800 square–foot location. Famous among Torontonians for its fun and kinky shopping experience, the sex-boutique’s new location is fully stocked with a greater supply of quality sex toys, books DVD’s and a sizeable space for the shop’s infamous workshops. Enhance your foreplay with an array of eco-conscious sensuals, including the natural soy-based JimmyJane Afterglow Candles ($28) and the customer’s choice Sliquid Organics Oceanics (from $15) organic lubricant. Foreplay getting you down? Let your girl get herself in the mood with a sexy gift like the smart-touch Minna Ola ($165), or the Canadian-designed We-Vibe 3. If you and your lady friend want to try something really new check out the first series of workshops being offered to celebrate the return of world-renowned sex educator and author of Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage, Midori. Topics will include Hands-On Rope Bondage, How to Eat a Peach and Aural Seductions by Voice. Register online or purchase a ticket in-store. 493 Queen Street W, 416-504-7934.
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Image courtesy of eschipul.
Have you visited the Oasis Aqualounge? Doesn’t seem like it…
I wouldn’t mention the Oasis in the same breath as M4, x-club and Wicked… The latter are specifically ‘swinger oriented’ nightclubs that allow single men. Oasis is couples only (except for one weekday night a month) and is a spa, not a club. The sleaze factor is massively lower than the other clubs, since people come as a couple and tend to stick with the ones they came with. This makes Oasis a great place for experimenting, or just going with your significant other to feel naughty… Highly recommended, and I am not a ‘swinger’.
Check the website… Just search for the name.
I think you failed to mention, Wicked has a much rumoured silk rope policy. Wicked, is not any different from the other clubs. They follow the same formula. Open at 9pm but you’re not able to get to the playrooms untill midnight. Oasis you can play all day and it’s also a hell of a lot cleaner. Their funiture is made out of leather or pleather and is easy to clean. No lying down on a wet spot. I also wonder if the writer of this article has even been to the other clubs.
Wow, Wicked? Really? Wicked is the Sleazyest of all the clubs. It is dirty and dingy and can’t compare to Ozone, Oasis or X-Club. This article is so bad I would be more inclined to believe it was paid ad for Wicked rather than an expose on Toronto’s scene
We’ve been to most of the clubs mentioned, and each has it’s merits. Our favourite though is still Wicked (we’re in our 20’s). To each his/her own 🙂