By Glenn Hicks

Coop plans to operate two liquor stores in P.A.

Sep 19, 2018 | 5:00 PM

Lake Country Coop has confirmed it is looking to set up not one but two new liquor stores in Prince Albert with the potential of creating up to 75 new jobs. As the Coop moves into the liquor sector there have been concerns raised by some members of the public that the city does not need any more liquor retail given the social and health problems that creates. In response, top adminstrators at the Coop said they take their social responsibility seriously.

Speaking to paNOW, Coop CEO Dean McKim confirmed that in addition to their plans to build a stand-alone liquor store at their Marquis Rd gas bar location, they have now also applied for a permit to operate at the Cornerstone shopping development. They plan to operate from the new building next to Michaels.

“If everything goes to plan the Cornerstone site will probably be open before Marquis Road as the building is ready, and once we get approval we’ll do the interior upgrade,” McKim said. “The Marquis building will be a brand new building we’ll have to construct over the winter.”

McKim was keen to point out the plans were subject to approval by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority and the two licences they were seeking were not new but were being purchased from existing holders. Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne confirmed as much with paNOW last week amidst an initial misplaced outcry that the city was issuing new liquor permits contrary to their commitment not to do so. McKim could not divulge from whom the permits had been purchased and the SLGA said such transactions were private. The deadline for public objections to the Marquis Road permit was midnight Wednesday. The deadline for objections to the Cornerstone store were set for early next month as that public advisory had only just been issued.

“We feel this is an extremely exciting opportunity not only for the Coop members but for the citizens of P.A. and area to bring in a high-class selection of product the likes of which they’ve never seen in the city,” McKim said.

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He explained while business operational plans had yet to be made they expected the two new stores would provide between 50 and 75 new jobs.

Since paNOW broke the news of the Coop’s application for a liquor license for their Marquis Road site there has been reaction from some members of the public that more liquor retail is not welcome in P.A. given the problems associated with it. It is likely there will be more concerns from those detractors following the Cornerstone announcement. Those concerns are not lost on McKim.

“I want to go on record that Lake Country Coop is focused on social responsibility and we are really focused on making sure we do this right and do a fantastic job in this new commodity that we’ll be entering hopefully in Prince Albert,” he said.

SLGA clarifies permit resale situation

In an email to paNOW, a SLGA spokesperson said selling a business with a liquor permit is not new with permits for restaurants, bars, rural franchises and off-sales changing hands for years.

“The only change is that effective Oct. 9, 2018 the retail store permit portion of an existing business can be sold and relocated to a new location within the same municipality. Overall, SLGA is not expecting a significant number of retail store permits to be sold. Currently we are only aware of approximately 20 of the more than 700 retail store permittees in the province that have sales pending,” the statement said.

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow