Bill 620: The Restricting Property Controls for Grocery Stores and Supermarkets Act

This bill primarily affects anyone in Saskatchewan who owns, develops, leases, or operates commercial retail property — particularly shopping mall owners, commercial landlords, and large grocery chains like Sobeys, Loblaws, or Co-op that have historically used exclusivity clauses to prevent competing grocery stores from opening nearby. If you're a property developer or commercial landlord in Saskatchewan, any clause in your existing leases that blocks a tenant's competitor from setting up a grocery operation is now void. Smaller convenience stores under 280 square metres are not defined as grocery stores under this bill, so their exclusivity arrangements may be unaffected. Existing supermarket operators who relied on these covenants to protect their market territory will lose that protection unless they apply for and receive a ministerial exemption on public interest grounds.