The province of Saskatchewan has stated that they would be exiting the liquor retailing business, meaning that all the stores owned by them are set to close.

That includes the one in Estevan, which will be shut down on February 11th, 2023, which is more than a month before the date all stores need to be closed on March 31.

The buildings holding the stores will be sold off, along with the liquor licenses so other stores can be opened.

Estevan SaskLiquor store operating manager Sean Choo-Foo says that they're looking to offload the current stock.

"We've done our first round of discounts, and then within the next week or so we'll be doing the second round and then doing it every two or three weeks until the February 11 date."

The buildings and licenses will be sold off as part of an auction, with both being separate from the other.

"The process is once we close there will be an auctioning off the liquor license and then after that, there'll be an auction of the building. If you buy the license, you don't necessarily have to purchase the building, so there are two separate options."

Choo-Foo says that the employees at the store have gone through a lot trying to get ready for the closure.

"We've had a lot of support, just with the situation of people losing their jobs, finding out just before Christmas time has been tough. Our staff is professional, we're very proud of them. At the end of the day, this is the reality we have to deal with. It is what it is."