Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew believes the Crown Royal dispute that’s pitting province against province can be resolved, as long as international spirits maker Diageo gives Ontario Premier Doug Ford a “path forward.”
The spat between the Ford government and Diageo first began in the fall, when the company announced the Crown Royal bottling facility in Amherstburg, On., would shut down and relocate to the United States.
Two other facilities – in Gimli, Man., and Valleyfield, Que., – along with the company’s Canadian headquarters in downtown Toronto and a distribution warehouse in Mississauga will remain in operation, the company has stressed.
For months, however, the premier has been firmly insisting that his government was willing to use the taxpayer-owned LCBO to retaliate against Diageo by pulling Crown Royal from the provincial liquor retailer if the company didn’t present the government with a plan to replace hundreds of jobs at the facility.
In recent weeks, and in the wake of a public pressure campaign from Manitoba, Quebec, some federal Conservative MPs, and a consumer advocacy group, Ford has softened his tone and said he’s willing to be “flexible” on the issue.
On Wednesday, as he met fellow premiers during a Council of the Federation meeting in Ottawa, Ford once again offered an “olive branch” to Diageo executives.
“We’re going to continue working to see if we can resolve this with Diageo.”
Kinew, who called the Premiers’ meeting “amicable and calm,” suggested the company should return the gesture in an effort to satisfy Ontario and de-escalate the situation.
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“I think we’ve done a lot to elevate that issue,” Kinew said of his efforts.
“I think Diageo, the parent company, should put in some work and provide that path forward for Mr. Ford,” Kinew said.
When asked whether a resolution is possible, Kinew suggested it is.
“Yeah, I think so,” Kinew said. “At the end of the day, Doug and I are committed to Team Canada.”
The Manitoba premier also appears to be banking on using a good-natured approach to gently guide Ford towards changing his mind before the LCBO ban takes effect at the end of February.
Kinew, who often calls Ford “my friend Doug,” has rejected retaliatory measures and is now looking to speak Ontario’s language as the premiers prepare for a First Ministers Meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“There’s a desire, especially from myself and my prairie neighbours, to say we’ve made progress on canola, we want to see more progress on pork, but let’s not leave the autoworker behind,” Kinew said, referencing Ontario’s concerns over the auto sector in the wake of the new electric vehicle tariff deal with China.
What remains unclear is whether the Ford government will actually receive any concessions from the alcohol maker.
In early December 2025, Diageo struck a closure agreement with the local union, giving workers enhanced benefits when they left their jobs.
The company then promptly put the entire property, 110 St. Arnaud St., up for sale.
Meanwhile, Unifor Local 200, which represents the front-line employees, told Global News that a third of the workers have already found new jobs at the nearby Stellantis auto assembly plant in Windsor or trades-related jobs connected to the union.
In a statement to Global News, Diageo said the company will maintain a “significant footprint” in the country, including at the Canadian headquarters and warehousing operations in the Greater Toronto Area, along with the distilling and bottling facilities in Manitoba and Quebec.
“Diageo directly employs more than 500 people across Canada, including more than 100 in Ontario (outside of those currently working at the Amherstburg site),” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement.
While a resolution has yet to materialize, what’s clear is that the two premiers are driven by the same motivation: front-line workers.
“It’s all about protecting the people, protecting their jobs, protecting their livelihoods,” Ford said.
“Generations have worked in that plant. And when you go into a small town, and you close a plant down, that affects the community in a big, big way.”
A sentiment that’s not lost on Kinew.
“You know the people who work at the Crown Royal plant in Gimli, they’re my boss,” Kinew said.
“That’s where I get my job from, from them, so I’m gonna go to bat for them.”