A date has been set for the upcoming auction for liquor licenses by the provincial government.

Back in the fall of 2022, Saskatchewan announced it would be selling off its liquor stores and their accompanying licenses in the future.

The auctions for the licenses will begin on February 6, with a staggered auction schedule and the final sale on February 15.

Those will all be handled on the website of McDougall Auctioneers Ltd., with a $5,000 deposit required to take part in the auction.

34 licenses will be up during the auction, with none of the 19 buildings which formerly housed the liquor stores, along with any fixtures or inventory, being sold yet.

MLA for Estevan and Minister of the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority Lori Carr says it's hard to predict how much this could bring in.

"It's really hard to make any of those assumptions. It depends on what interest there is, who's bidding, so we just can't guess what they'll go for."

Carr says the process for selling off the stores and licenses has gone well.

"I think it's gone fairly smoothly since we made the announcement. We've got the workforce adjustment plan in place for the employees, everyone knows what day the stores are closing, the online auctions are starting, and we have had exceptional interest so I'm really excited to see what happens moving forward."