RED FM News Desk
January 6, 2025
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he plans to follow through on his threat to remove Crown Royal from store shelves, saying Monday he “can’t wait” to do it.
Ford’s comments come as spirits giant Diageo prepares to close its Crown Royal bottling plant in Amherstburg next month, a move that will eliminate about 200 jobs and shift bottling operations to the United States. Ford called the decision to shut the Ontario plant “as dumb as a bag of hammers.”
Diageo has said the closure does not mean it is abandoning Canada, noting that Crown Royal will continue to be mashed, distilled, and aged domestically, and that its Canadian headquarters and other distilleries will remain open. No timeline has been given for when Crown Royal would be removed from LCBO shelves.
Ford said he is not planning to extend the boycott to other Diageo brands for now, despite the company owning major labels such as Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, and Guinness.
The Consumer Choice Centre criticized the move, arguing it limits consumer choice and contradicts Ford’s past support for expanded alcohol retail options. The group said Crown Royal will still be produced in Canada even after the Amherstburg plant closes, questioning the practical impact of removing it from shelves.
Loading ...
