Sale of former Sask. government liquor store buildings begins
The sale has started of former Saskatchewan government liquor store buildings. The province got out of liquor retailing earlier this month and is disposing of all assets. Now, the NDP opposition is concerned that the Regina Warehouse could be the next to close, an allegation that the government denies.
The last of 34 locations across Saskatchewan closed two weeks ago and now the government is finalizing deals on five former liquor store buildings.
“Actually we have seven on the market right now and five have firm offers so there’s just two outstanding there,” said Lori Carr, minister of liquor and gaming.
The government owned 19 of the 34 store buildings. The remainder were leased. Most of the rural locations for sale are listed through real estate agents for about $350,000 apiece.
Carr said they have five other stores they are going to be putting up soon.
This week, the government also introduced legislation to split casino operations from its remaining liquor wholesale division. The NDP worry that the massive central liquor warehouse at Regina’s GTH could be the next to go.
“Again, when they start shifting things around, removing the L from the SGA, people are going to be concerned,” said NDP MLA Nathaniel Teed.
The government says it has no plan to turn over liquor wholesaling to the private sector.
“I anticipated that question but there is no intention of a sell off. There is no intention to divest or making changes to that,” said Don Morgan, minister of Crown Investments.
Also on the auction block are about six liquor store permits but the government says none are associated with former SLGA stores. Apparently several owners of private liquor off sales are hoping to cash in their permits which now have a market value of about $1.5 million apiece.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.