After reaching a $23 million agreement with parent company Diageo, Ontario Premier Ford is walking back on his threat to remove Crown Royal from the shelves of LCBOs in the province, his original response to the company’s decision to shutter a bottling plant in Amherstburg, Ontario, which impacted roughly 200 jobs. While the $23 million will support investment, it will not see those jobs replaced.
“By standing firm in our plan to protect Ontario workers, we’ve secured nearly $23 million in investments,” Premier Ford said in a statement. “These investments will help keep Ontario workers on the job, strengthen provincial supply chains, and support the local community in Amherstburg and the surrounding area.”
The tensions around the issue were mounting as Premier Ford even threatened to de-shelve Smirnoff products as well. This was met with pressure from political leaders in Quebec and Manitoba who were worried about the implications a ban on Crown Royal would have for the Diageo operations in their provinces.
“We thank Premier Ford and his team for their exceptional leadership and collaboration in reaching this resolution,” Diageo wrote in a statement. “Diageo is pleased that Crown Royal, an iconic Canadian Whisky, will remain on the shelves of the LCBO, and we remain committed to Ontario through our significant investment in the province.”
