Small Town Establishments not exempt from return to pre-pandemic requirements

Campbell Brass, owner of Bull’s Head Inn and Tavern in Bulyea, said their hands are tied until the Government completes their review. The comment comes after the Government returned to pre-pandemic limits on selling off-sale from his establishment.

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Located in Bulyea, 70km’s North-West of Regina, Bulyea is home to 113 residents. The Bull’s Head re-opened in 2016 at a location closed for five years. It is the only food and beverage location in the village. Brass has been unable to get a liquor permit because the community does not meet SLGA’s current minimum population requirements.

Neighbouring community, Earl Grey – population 246 is home to On The Grid Bar & Grill.

We asked SLGA about the Bull’s Head and On The Grid located in Earl Grey. “Both of these establishments operate under a tavern permit and were allowed to sell on a temporary basis during the pandemic. Effective July 11, all of the public health orders that placed restrictions on bars and restaurants were removed and customers are able to return to these establishments with no restrictions. In conjunction with this, the temporary provision to allow taverns and restaurants to sell alcohol for off-site consumption ended and the ability to sell alcohol for off-site consumption is once again limited to retail store permittees.”

SLGA further explained that to sell alcohol for off-site consumption, a retail store permit is required and that both On the Grid and Bull’s Head have tavern permits. To acquire a retail store permit, the community must have a population of at least 500, or there is an exception if a previous ‘off-sale’ retailer closed within the moratorium period on new retail permits. SLGA said that while Earl Grey’s retailer did close within that period which would make the community eligible for a retail liquor store under current policy, SLGA isn’t allocating any new permits as the process was suspended when the pandemic began.

SLGA said that the temporary changes had been well received. “We recognize that the temporary changes have been well received and are currently conducting a review to determine if similar changes should be made permanently. A decision is expected in the near future.”

So for establishments such as the Bull’s Head, it appears as though it’s a waiting game, and for an industry that some heavy blows from the pandemic have struck, hopefully, the wait won’t be much longer.

- Jenifer Argue, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Note: These reports may be abridged for content

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