Auction of SLGA permits to begin next month

Liquor permits will go up for auction in early February as the province phases out its remaining Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority liquor stores.

The closure of the remaining government-run liquor stores was announced last fall in the Throne Speech, and Premier Scott Moe said the remaining 34 stores are no longer a “core business” for the provincial government.

“We’ve seen private stores that have been operating for decades now under various governments of various stripes in the province, and we’re going to be exiting that business,” Moe said in October.

While Moe said the move will allow the government to focus on other areas like health-care improvements, education, road construction and more, the decision didn’t sit will with everyone in Saskatchewan. Both the Saskatchewan NDP and members of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union, which represents SLGA employees, protested strongly against the move.

The auctions to sell of the permits associated with the SLGA liquor stores will begin on Feb. 6, the provincial government announced Tuesday. The auctions will be staggered throughout the first half of the month, with the final auctions to occur Feb. 15.

Lori Carr, minister responsible for SLGA, said the auctions are the next step in the process of transitioning to a fully private liquor retail system in Saskatchewan.

“An online auction format is being used to ensure that permits are sold efficiently and transparently,” Carr said in a statement.

Participating in the auctions is not cheap. The government said a $5,000 deposit will be required for any interested bidders.

The auctions are for the permits only, the government noted, and don’t include the buildings or any remaining inventory. Successful bidders must also meet the terms associated with holding a permit.

After the SLGA permits are sold, certain communities could see more permits on offer, the government added.

“Once the auctions associated with SLGA Retail Inc. permits wrap up, auctions will be held for communities that qualify for an additional permit under SLGA’s population matrix, if someone has expressed interest in the permit,” the government wrote in a statement.

“These auctions were suspended during the pandemic.”

The auctions will be held online. More information can be found on the SLGA website.