Gold in them thar hills?
Quebec’s population is one of the fastest aging in the world. As people grow older, they tend to drink less. It follows that liquor sales in the province are likely to decline in the coming years. Yet the SAQ has committed to maintaining the dividend its pays to the Quebec government. Caught on the horns of this demographic dilemma, SAQ management has decided to look afield. Yesterday the SAQ, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and Fondaction CSN announced they will be forming a limited partnership to sell various services to liquor retailers outside the province. The services will include selecting and buying products, quality control (including laboratory analysis), distribution, marketing, merchandising and sales network management, and it looks like they’ve already found a taker.
Quebec Liquor Board Is Stepping Out (Financial Post)
Quebec government news release (in French)
Brett happens 
Irony or coincidence: the first client in this new venture is the same retailer than many SAQ haters point to as the example of all that is righteous and good about the privatization of liquor retailing: Willow Park Wines from Calgary, AB. (http://www.willowpark.net/)
wapiti
October 5, 2010 at 17:28