Two of Ontario’s best-selling liquor brands could soon disappear from LCBO shelves as Premier Doug Ford escalates his battle with global spirits giant Diageo over its decision to shutter its bottling facility in Amherstburg, Ontario.
The company, which produces brands including Crown Royal whisky and Smirnoff vodka, announced in August that it will wind down operations at the Amherstburg plant early next year. About 200 workers will lose their jobs as Diageo shifts some of its bottling work to the United States. The company said the move was a “difficult decision” aimed at improving supply chain efficiency and resiliency.
Premier Ford, however, has made it clear he won’t let the closure go unchallenged. Just days after the announcement, he famously poured out a bottle of Crown Royal during a press conference, sending a blunt message to the company. Since then, Ford’s office has confirmed that “all options are on the table,” including pulling Crown Royal from the LCBO if the plant closure proceeds.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Ford doubled down. “The LCBO is the largest purchaser of alcohol in the entire world and I’ll use that leverage to make sure we send a signal that we are pulling Crown Royal off our shelves as soon as the last person leaves that plant and they can deal with it,” he said. “And then we’ll look at Smirnoff next.”
Both Crown Royal and Smirnoff are top sellers in Ontario, consistently ranking among the LCBO’s best-selling products. Ford dismissed concerns that banning them could hurt jobs or revenues at the Crown corporation, saying Ontario producers can fill the gap. “There’s great whisky that can be produced in Ontario that consumers will enjoy just as much as Crown Royal,” he said.
Diageo has stated that despite the Amherstburg closure, it will maintain a “significant” presence in Canada, including headquarters and warehouse operations in the Greater Toronto Area and facilities in Manitoba and Quebec. Crown Royal products for the Canadian market will continue to be mashed, distilled, aged, and bottled in Canada, the company said. It has also pledged to work with Unifor to support employees through the transition.
Ford remains unswayed. “Who, in their right mind, any business person with half a brain, would go after their largest customer in North America? Diageo, we do over $765 million — more than any jurisdiction anywhere in the U.S. or in Canada,” he said. “And they want to close down a plant over what — $8 million of wages they think they’re going to save?”
The Premier’s remarks echo past trade tensions, when Ontario removed U.S.-made alcohol from LCBO shelves at the start of the tariff war and urged consumers to buy Canadian. This time, the standoff is homegrown — and could leave Ontarians with fewer options the next time they shop for their favourite spirits.