A liquor permit for the town of La Ronge was sold for $3.27 million during auction.
The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority‘s auction of the La Ronge liquor permit concluded Thursday and the town confirms that it was not part of the successful bid.
“We understand that some people are philosophically opposed to government being involved in enterprise activities, while others had questions and concerns regarding the Town’s motives,” the town said in a prepared statement.
“While this venture did not come to fruition, the Town remains staunchly committed to growing the community. We are open for business. We will pursue public and private partnerships. We will be aggressive, progressive, and innovative in addressing community growth and service needs.”
The sale of the permit is part of SLGA auctioning government-owned permits to the public.
In October 2022, the province announced it was closing the SLGA’s remaining SLGA Retail Inc. liquor stores by the end of March 2023.
The auctions to sell the permits associated with SLGA Retail Inc. stores started on Feb. 6. In an earlier release, the minister responsible for the SLGA said this is a step in the process to transition to a fully private liquor retail system.
“An online auction format is being used to ensure that permits are sold efficiently and transparently,” stated Lori Carr.
The town of La Ronge expressed interest in buying the permit, but confirmed in a statement that it was not part of the winning bid. The town also responded to criticism about the government both selling alcohol and making the rules about alcohol sales, saying that the profits were intended to ease the burden on taxpayers.
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