Churchill liquor store to be converted into private vendor

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries plans to convert Churchill's only Liquor Mart into a private vendor next year due to declining sales, a spokesperson confirmed Friday. 

Until recently, orders from Nunavut made up about half of the store's sales, said Andrea Kowal.

A liquor store opened in Iqaluit last September, the first one in more than 40 years.

"The evolution of Nunavut's own liquor industry has led to an inevitable decline in sales as orders to the Churchill Liquor Mart migrated to Nunavut's own new beer and wine store," Kowal said.

Kowal said Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries is confident it will be able to find a viable business to convert to a liquor vendor.

"Moving to a liquor vendor model provides an entrepreneurial opportunity for a local business to increase sales and retain profits within the community," she said, pointing out that there are over 170 rural liquor vendors in the province.

But if it can't, the Liquor Mart will remain open in order to maintain liquor service in the community for residents and local licensees, she said.

However, Churchill Mayor Mike Spence said it was unacceptable and short-sighted of the agency to move ahead with the decision without any community consultation.

"Churchill is a world-class tourism destination and this is penny-wise and pound-foolish," he said via email.

"We are continuing important discussions with provincial ministers on this MBLL board decision."

Under the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation Act, uniform pricing rules would still apply at a private vendor.