TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford is encouraging whisky drinkers across the province to explore other Canadian-made brands as the government prepares to remove Crown Royal from shelves at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.
Ford reiterated that the planned removal of Crown Royal is a direct response to parent company Diageo closing its bottling plant in Amherstburg, Ontario, a move expected to result in the loss of approximately 200 local jobs in February.
“I don’t call it weaponizing,” Ford said when questioned about the decision. “I call it protecting jobs in Ontario.”
The premier urged consumers to support other Canadian whisky producers, pointing to well-known alternatives such as J.P. Wiser’s, Hiram Walker, and Forty Creek, which continue to produce and bottle whisky domestically.
While Diageo has stated that Crown Royal will still be mashed, distilled, and aged in Canada, the bottling work will shift to a new facility in Alabama. The company has also confirmed it will maintain its Canadian headquarters and other operations in the Greater Toronto Area, Manitoba, and Quebec.
Ford acknowledged concerns raised by Manitoba officials, where Crown Royal has production ties, but emphasized that his priority remains safeguarding Ontario jobs. He noted that while other provinces are entitled to protect their own economic interests, Ontario must do the same.
The premier’s remarks underline a broader message from the provincial government: consumer choices matter, and supporting locally bottled products is being framed as a way to stand behind Ontario workers during a period of industrial transition.