Premier Doug Ford says the province will remove Crown Royal whisky from Liquor Control Board of Ontario shelves following the planned closure of a Windsor-area bottling plant.
The move comes after Diageo, the parent company of Crown Royal, confirmed it will close its Amherstburg facility next month.
Ford first raised the possibility in the fall, publicly criticizing the company’s decision during a press conference where he poured out a bottle of Crown Royal in protest.
On Monday, the premier confirmed he will follow through, saying he will “100 per cent” remove the brand from LCBO stores once the closure takes effect.
The Amherstburg plant closure is expected to impact approximately 200 workers.
Ford said there is interest from several companies in taking over the facility and potentially rehiring affected employees, though no deals have been announced.
Diageo has stated that bottling operations from Amherstburg will be moved to Quebec.
Ford, however, expressed skepticism, suggesting production could eventually be shifted to the United States, adding to concerns about long-term job losses in Ontario.
(Written by Matt Leblanc)