Auctions for retail liquor store permits have begun, with one permit in Saskatoon already with an over-$125,000 price tag as of Tuesday afternoon.
The province put up the permits for their publicly owned stores under the gavel at McDougall Auctions, and now private owners are bidding on these permits.
Winners must operate the stores in the communities… so for example you couldn’t take a Regina permit and try to operate a store in Saskatoon.
Stores must begin to operate within 18 months of the auction closing.
Auctions will continue, with staggered starts and endings, until the last one is sold Feb. 24.
There are 35 permits in total that are going through the process.