Doug Ford Threatens Crown Royal Smirnoff LCBO Removal Amid Amherstburg Plant Closure

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is intensifying his opposition to British-based alcohol producer Diageo's plan to close its Amherstburg bottling plant, which employs about 200 people. Ford has vowed to pull Crown Royal, one of the LCBO's top-selling whiskies, off store shelves as soon as the plant closes and has also threatened to remove Smirnoff vodka next, signaling a broader crackdown on Diageo products. He emphasized the LCBO's significant purchasing power, spending over $765 million on Diageo products, and pledged to use this leverage to hold the company accountable for what he describes as undermining Ontario workers. Ford's protest escalated after Diageo declined offers for incentives to keep the plant open, with the company citing efficiency and supply chain improvements as reasons for the closure. The dispute highlights tensions between provincial government efforts to protect local jobs and multinational corporations' supply chain decisions. Ford's stance reflects a readiness to leverage government purchasing policies to influence corporate decisions impacting Ontario's economy and workforce.