Ontario Premier Doug Ford says to “stock up” on Crown Royal, confirming he plans to strip the Canadian whisky from the shelves of the LCBO in retaliation for a planned plant closure.
The premier has repeated the threat for months, saying he will use the province’s monopoly on alcohol sales to punish international drinks manufacturer Diageo for its decision to close a bottling plant in southwestern Ontario.
The company announced in August it would cease operations at its Amherstburg facility, citing global restructuring as the reason, rather than tariffs.
It said bottling at the factory intended for the U.S. market will be shifting stateside, while bottling for Canadian consumers will relocate to its Valleyfield, Que., location.
Ford said he was furious and had unsuccessfully offered to find ways to support the plant if the company chose to stay. In September 2025, he emptied a bottle of Crown Royal in protest at the end of a news conference and said he may remove all Diageo products from the LCBO.
On Monday, he confirmed he would remove Crown Royal from the agency’s catalogue, but said other Diageo products, including Gordon’s Gin, Smirnoff Vodka and Guinness, would be left untouched.
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“I’m just going to focus on Crown Royal for now,” Ford said, confirming he was “100 per cent” planning to remove the liquor.
The decision not to go after the broader Diageo product range appears to be a step back from the premier’s most severe threat. “Then we’ll look at Smirnoff next, ” he said last year.
While Ford said other products won’t be affected, he made it clear Crown Royal will be removed.
“As soon as they close that plant. So, you better stock up there,” he said.
Locally in Amherstburg, the mayor has expressed optimism that a tenant will be found for the bottling facility who will keep the unionized workers employed.
Mayor Michael Prue told councillors in October last year that Ford has said there are three companies interested in taking over Diageo’s operation in the town.
The plant is scheduled to close in February 2026, affecting 168 unionized employees and potentially impacting the local economy.
— With files from Global News’ Aaron D’Andrea
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