The Government of Saskatchewan is lifting a liquor permit law that has been in place for two years.
Come Oct. 8, the sale of liquor permits from one owner to another will be legal, meaning existing liquor stores or off-sale vendors will be able to sell their permits to new companies.
With no new permits available, this has sparked some fierce competition and some rich offers.
Ray Sharp owns Rayzr’s Cellar, a liquor store in Yorkton, and is one of six liquor permit-holders in the town.
“It’s probably going to be a fact of survival of the fittest here,” said Sharp.
“We want to keep a competitive edge and hopefully survive this – the trials of how this is going to go – and hopefully be the one that’s left in the end.”
Sharp said he was approached last year with a six-figure offer for his permit.
But Sharp wasn’t interested, saying he wouldn’t be in business if he didn’t want to be there, and that the offer would have to be “quite good” if it was going to tempt him away.
Even though owners can now sell their liquor permits, not just anyone can buy one.
“If you’re a person of good character or a business of good character previously, that’s the main thing SLGA would look at,” said Gene Makowsky, minister responsible for the SLGA.
Buyers also have to keep the permit in the municipality where it was purchased.
