The prostitution ruling should spur city council to look at declaring a zone in the city where brothels could be licensed to operate, says Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti.

Mammoliti created headlines last year when he suggested the Toronto Island might be a good location.

Mammoliti said he wasn’t ruling out the island, because the key is to find a spot that’s out of the way. An industrial park might fit the bill for the same reason.

“There are arguments that we should have it as far away as possible. Obviously, the island would be one of those locations, or part of the island, because it’s less accessible.”

Mammoliti (Ward 7, York West) said he wants to remove city-licensed massage parlours from his ward, and one way may be to set up a special zone.

Some massage parlours operate as brothels, he said.

“That’s exactly what they are, we all know it. We (the city of Toronto) have become the largest pimps in North America because we’re handing out the licences.”

Mammoliti wants the issue to go to council to study and discuss creating a red light district.

“We need to have a debate on where we would want to see a licensed, zoned area that would allow for this.”

City council has the power under the Planning Act to zone brothels, said city spokesperson Jackie DeSouza.

In the case of strip clubs and body rub parlours, the city can define a geographic area where they can operate, and limit the number of establishments within that area.

However, the latest court ruling may not be the last word on the issue because there may be an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, DeSouza noted.