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Posters for a sex doll rental business went up along Whyte Avenue late last week, marking the arrival of an intimate niche market in Edmonton.

But the advertising for Doll Next Door brings a host of questions about how this latest trend in sexual services will be regulated in Edmonton, if at all. Sex doll brothels and rental services have longer histories in places such as Japan and parts of Europe, but recent ventures in other Canadian cities have drawn mixed reactions.

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The business owner advertising the silicon doll rentals in Edmonton said the service offers customers the choice of a two-hour booking or overnight rental with one of five doll models. Customers call, explain what they would like and the doll is then sent in discreet packaging to the customer’s home or a specified hotel.

Industry supporters say the dolls have both intimate and physical benefits. Some say people who lack confidence or social skills can explore and become more comfortable with their sexuality in a safe environment.