TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province still intends to remove Crown Royal whisky from LCBO shelves following Diageo’s decision to move part of its Ontario production to the United States.Speaking to reporters on Monday, Ford confirmed he plans to follow through on the move after the scheduled February closure of Diageo’s bottling plant in Amherstburg, Ont.Diageo, the multinational beverage company behind Crown Royal, announced in August it would shut down the Amherstburg facility and lay off roughly 200 workers as part of a shift aimed at restructuring its North American supply chain. .The company has said the whisky will continue to be mashed, distilled, and aged in Canada, with bottling operations moving to the U.S.The decision drew criticism from Ford, who earlier dumped out a bottle of Crown Royal in front of news cameras and warned the product could be removed from provincial shelves. The announcement came amid ongoing trade tensions between Canada and the United States.Ford said Monday that while Crown Royal remains the focus, the province does not currently plan to remove other Diageo products sold through the LCBO. .Diageo produces several other spirits and beverages available in Ontario, including Guinness, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan and Don Julio.The premier also questioned Diageo’s assurances that Crown Royal production would remain partially in Canada, suggesting the company could eventually relocate all production to the United States. He cited a 2022 announcement involving a proposed investment in St. Clair, Ont., which has since been paused.Ford said the province is working to bring new economic opportunities to the Amherstburg area following the plant closure and reiterated that Ontario would hold companies accountable if they shift jobs out of the province..He also pointed to the success of buy-local initiatives, noting that the LCBO reported strong growth in sales of Ontario-made wines last fall. Ford advised consumers who still want to purchase Crown Royal to do so before any removal from store shelves.Ontario previously removed millions of dollars worth of U.S.-produced alcohol from LCBO stores during the trade dispute. Ford has rejected calls to sell off those products for charitable purposes, arguing that doing so would harm local alcohol producers.
