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Prostitution is Legal in Canada
In general, prostitution is not illegal in Canada. Neither the seller of sex for money, not the buyer of sexual services, commits any crime by doing so (one might be forgiven for concluding that the police believe otherwise).
In particular, sex trade workers who conduct their business as "escorts", offering arranged private meetings with clients in homes or hotel rooms, are unlikely to be committing any offence by doing so, and their clients are likewise fairly secure against prosecution. Similarly, communications between clients and escort agencies, arranging for such private meetings, are unlikely to lead to difficulties with the law (if an escort or an escort agency does run into legal problems, it is often a matter of bylaw infractions, such as carrying on trade without a business licence, or some such thing).
What is illegal is procuring, soliciting in public, under-age prostitution, living on the "avails" of an under-age prostitute, and offences connected with "common bawdy houses" (brothels).
Procuring
This offence applies to anyone who tries to get another person to become a prostitute: in other words, recruiting into the business.
Soliciting in Public
This is the offence of communicating for the purpose, either of offering sexual services for money, or of offering to buy such services. It applies to any public place, and s. 213(2) includes in that definition a motor vehicle "located in a public place or in any place open to public view".
The police will sometimes use female officers posing as street "hookers" as bait for potential clients. Any explicit conversation between the under-cover officer and the target, and he can be arrested and charged. The officer, of course, has technically committed the same offence, but is immune because of her position and role.
Under-Age Prostitution
"Under-age" here means under 18 years of age. The under-age prostitute does not commit a crime; rather, it is the customer who does, either by buying sexual services from the prostitute, or by offering or trying to do so. The rules that apply about what an accused person knew, or ought to have known, about the prostitute's age, are similar to those applying to under-age sex in general: basically, if there is the slightest doubt, age needs to be checked and verified.
It is still an offence to try or offer to buy sexual services from an under-age person, even if that person does not exist. In other words, merely engaging in negotiation with someone who is only pretending to be able to offer the illicit service is enough for a conviction.
Living on the Avails of a Prostitute
This, essentially, is the offence of pimping. "Living on" does not mean "wholly dependent upon". Taking some of the revenue is enough. In fact, s. 212(3) of the Criminal Code sets out a presumption that anyone living with - or even hanging around with - a prostitute is guilty of the offence.
The offence is significantly more serious if the prostitute in question is under-age.
Some individuals not only put vulnerable young girls to work for them in the sex trade, but they also use threats or violence to keep them there. If that is the case, the Code sets out a minimum five-year prison sentence.
Common Bawdy Houses
S. 210 of the Criminal Code says that running one of these places is an offence, but so is simply being in one (without a lawful excuse). A "common bawdy house" is defined in s. 197 as any place that is kept or occupied or "resorted to" by anyone for the purpose of prostitution or "the practice of acts of indecency".
Someone who is only the owner/landlord of premises being used for prostitution is not necessarily guilty of this offence. It requires some amount of actual control over or participation in whatever is going on there.
There is even a separate offence, in s. 211, of taking someone to a common bawdy house. Presumably this is aimed primarily at taxi or limo drivers, but might also snare in-house drivers working for agencies that run so-called "in-call" services.
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FIRST LINE CRIMINAL LAW INFORMATION