Premier Doug Ford’s threat to pull Crown Royal from LCBO shelves could have unintended consequences for Ontario workers, including those in Brampton, where the whisky’s glass bottles are manufactured.
The glass bottles used for Crown Royal are produced by O-I Brampton, which also supplies bottles for other liquor brands owned by Diageo. The company declined to comment on how a potential boycott might affect its operations or employees.
Ford has vowed to remove Crown Royal from LCBO stores in response to Diageo’s decision to shut down its bottling plant in Amherstburg, a move that will cost roughly 200 workers their jobs. Asked whether the boycott could harm Brampton workers linked to the supply chain, Ford said he was not concerned.
In recent days, however, the premier has signalled some flexibility, suggesting Diageo could avoid the boycott by presenting a plan to replace the lost Amherstburg jobs elsewhere in Ontario. “Show me a plan that’s going to replace those jobs, and then we’re good,” Ford said this week.
Diageo has not indicated whether it will meet that demand. The company says it employs more than 100 people in Ontario outside the Amherstburg plant and spends more than $100 million annually in the province on advertising, goods and services.
Ford’s stance has drawn pushback from other provinces. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has urged him to reconsider, noting that Crown Royal is distilled in Gimli, Manitoba, while Quebec officials have also warned of broader economic ripple effects given Diageo’s presence there.
Ford has said the removal of Crown Royal from LCBO shelves will proceed when the Amherstburg facility closes on Feb. 28, setting up a standoff that could reverberate beyond the workers the boycott is meant to defend.