According to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, a privately operated liquor store in Battleford could be integrated into an existing business or operated as a standalone business.
A third round of Requests for Proposals was announced Tuesday as part of the provincial government's initiative to privatize liquor stores in the province, and Battleford is among the communities on the list.
The other communities are: Aberdeen, Carrot River, Dalmeny, Hague, Hudson Bay, Kelvington, Osler, Outlook, Preeceville, Rosetown, Rosthern, Shellbrook, St. Walburg, Tisdale, Unity, Wadena, Wakaw, Waskesiu and Wilkie.
Successful proponents will be selected through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process. There is one opportunity available in each of the 20 communities. The deadline to apply for any of these 20 opportunities is Sept. 7.
“This third round of RFPs includes communities outside of the province’s cities,” Minister Responsible for the Liquor and Gaming Authority Don McMorris said. “For this round, successful proponents for these locations will have the option to operate an integrated or standalone retail operation.”
What form any new private liquor outlet would take was part of a discussion at Battleford Town Hall last week when a delegation met with council members. At that time, it was unclear whether Battleford would have the option of either stand alone or integrated.
Aaron and Charity Janzen, owners of Super A Foods in Battleford, presented a petition asking council to refuse any business license applications for private liquor stores, in the hopes that the public liquor store would then have to remain open. While councillors didn't agree to disallow private liquor store licenses, they assured the Janzens that, when the time comes, they would do everything they could to see any private liquor vendor located downtown.
The Janzens said their business has lost sales with the expansion of Walmart into groceries, the downturn in the oil industry and the closure of the downtown location of the post office and would experience a further drop if the downtown area was to lose the public liquor store.
"The year Walmart expanded we were down $30,000," said Aaron Janzen. "Since the oil slump and the closure of the downtown post office, we are on track for a drop in sales of $150,000 this year."
He added, "We are not the only business owners who have experienced a decrease in sales due to drops in traffic," he said.
Battleford is in the third of four rounds of RFPs to go out for private liquor outlets in Saskatchewan. In November 2015, the government announced changes designed to expand the private liquor retail system in Saskatchewan. The plan includes the conversion of 40 existing government liquor stores to private opportunities as well as the addition of 11 new retail opportunities. Conversion of the Melfort liquor store will take place in 2019 when its current lease expires.
The RFP documents outline details relating to criteria, process, timelines and other relevant information pertaining to obtaining a retail store permit and can be found at www.SaskTenders.ca. The successful proponents must also meet the standard terms required to obtain a commercial liquor permit.
The Battleford store, which leases a location on 22nd Street, has five employees and sales of just over $1.8 million.
The North Battleford store is not affected by the initiative.
