Another bathhouse has shut its doors, but this time the reason isn’t because of declining business. Rather because the owner had died. The gay sauna in question is the Red Door Bathhouse. They bill themselves as a
safe and discreet place for horny ‘no strings’ encounters
However after this months Vancouver’s Pride celebrations wrapped up, the doors to the bathhouse seem to be shut for good. Ironic because they had said they would re-open in August. Yet the Red Door website only shows a blank page.
The closure comes on the heels of the death of its owner Jeff Fraser. As Daily Xtra reported at the time
Its closure comes after owner Jeff Fraser was found unresponsive in downtown Vancouver near Helmcken and Burrard Streets around 5am on July 25, according to Vancouver police. Fraser was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. He was 52.
The cause of his death can’t be determined until toxicology results are released by the BC Coroners Service, says police spokesperson Constable Brian Montague.
But an investigation and an autopsy indicate that foul play isn’t suspected, and Fraser’s death isn’t being treated as suspicious, Montague says.
Both Fraser widow and the landlord of Red Door Bathhouse had told Daily Xtra the remaining staff of the bathhouse had met with lawyers to see about taking over the business. The landlord telling Daily Xtra
“It’s not like we’re trying to shut it down. When I received the news [of Fraser’s death] it was a shock to me,” she says.
“But who’s the one going to be on the title? Who’s going to be responsible for anything that goes wrong? At the end of the day, if something happens we become liable,” she says.
Time will tell if the doors will ever be re-opened.
There really was no business there, it was poorly operated (not that the others in town are much better) and basically a drug den…much like the others in town.