Francine worked as a go-go dancer and stripper in Montreal from sometime in the 1970s to the late 1980s. With only one exception (Cleopatra), all of the clubs that Francine worked at have burnt down, are bulldozed, or closed. Francine’s interview is unique in that she witnessed a shift in stripping styles – from go-go dancing in bikinis and in cages, to topless, to full nudity. She worked at many of the small working class strip clubs in the city such as the Calèche du Sexe and also the Ti Rose in Ville Saint-Pierre. She has very vivid memories of some clubs such as Chez Francis in Dorval (one of the last “roadhouse” style clubs in the city and noted for its bright pink exterior) and vague memories of others such as Le Calèche du Sexe, where she worked very briefly. Her memories of the areas where she worked, such as around Saint-Antoine and Peel where the Colonial Hotel are of a richly social space that is no longer there.
Photo : Alex Tigchelaar
