There was a lot of consternation expressed at North Battleford council Monday over the prospect of liquor retailers being able to privately sell their liquor permits.
The issue came up in response to correspondence from the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union, which noted the moratorium on the relocation of liquor store permits had been lifted by the province as of Oct. 9.
According to SGEU’s correspondence, this allows “companies or individuals to buy out an existing liquor retailer and replace it with an entirely new liquor store within the same community.”
SGEU raised concerns this move could lead to large retailers snapping up liquor permits and replacing smaller off-sale stores with much larger full-time liquor stores.
The correspondence from Bob Stadnichuk, bargaining unit chair, suggested a couple of options were available to municipalities to “restrict or oppose the proliferation of these stores.” One was to file objections to a permit application to the Liquor and Gaming Licensing Commission, while the other option is to pass zoning bylaw restrictions.
Concerns were raised by councillors Monday about the implications for the city. Councillor Kent Lindgren asked if city officials received any correspondence from the province on the issue, and Mayor Ryan Bater responded they hadn’t.
“This was the first official correspondence coming to my desk,” said Bater of the SGEU letter.
He added this was “surprising, because there was a considerable amount of correspondence when the cannabis change was introduced.”
Lindgren suggested requesting further information from the province. Bater noted there was a SUMA conference coming up in Saskatoon and suggested that might be a time for an SLGA representative to provide that information to municipalities.
Councillor Len Taylor said he shared the concerns expressed, adding, “it appears that the liquor permits seem to be available for life and could be sold, ignoring the municipal needs attached to those permits.”
Taylor wanted to see consultation with the province, and said the province needed to understand that “the municipalities were tasked with certain responsibilities and they’re ignoring municipalities in changing rules and regulations.”
He also pointed to the cannabis legalization process.
“I wonder if … the cannabis permits are now for sale,” said Taylor.
The answer to that question, Bater responded, was yes. He pointed to the situation that transpired in North Battleford immediately after legalization, when the retail cannabis permit awarded by SLGA to Envirosafe Chemicals Canada/Curativa Cannabis was sold to Fire and Flower one day after the store opened on Oct. 17.
“All the more reason, then, that we need more information, and more important the public needs more information,” said Taylor.
Taylor also noted there is going to be another application process for more cannabis permits, and expressed alarm that those who got their permits through the application process could turn around and sell them off the next day.
He called it an “affront to any business person who’s going through the hoops of trying to appease the province’s rules and regulations.”
