Increased privatization is coming to one of New Brunswick’s most profitable Crown corporations.
NB Liquor is changing two of its stores into privately-owned agency locations.
The decades-old outlet in St. George is closing and will be replaced by a privately-operated agency store somewhere nearby.
“From an economic standpoint, it does not make sense,” says Liberal MLA Rick Doucet.
"This store behind us has been a very profitable store for a good many years. It’s probably one of the highest sales per square foot and the highest profitability per square foot in the province.”
Officials with NB Liquor say renovating the building is not an option because it would be too costly.
They also say both the St. George and Florenceville-Bristol stores are more than 50 years old and they no longer provide the working conditions or customer experience expected in modern stores.
Some customers at the St. George store are expressing concern about the seven people who work there.
“People have been here forever,” says customer Paul MacKay. “They’re looking for pensions and things like this. If they go to agency stores, well, it’s cut back to minimum wage jobs.”
NB Liquor says employees will be offered jobs at other locations, but their union says St. George is losing good paying jobs and New Brunswick is slowly losing the Crown corporation.
“When they do it piece by piece, maybe people don’t understand that what’s going to happen in the end, we’re going to lose our Crown corporations, the one that brings in profit,” says Martha Thompson of CUPE Local 963.
NB Liquor says they will go to tender to find a private operator.
The changeover is not expected until the new year.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron
