A Conservative MP from Manitoba says Ontario Premier Doug Ford is acting without a full understanding of the facts as he doubles down on plans to remove Crown Royal whisky from Ontario liquor store shelves.
James Bezan, the Conservative MP for Selkirk–Interlake–Eastman, where Crown Royal is distilled, said the Ontario premier is wrong to target the brand, calling it a “proudly made-in-Manitoba whisky” and Canada’s top exported spirit. Bezan made the remarks after Ford reiterated his threat to delist Crown Royal from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario once its Ontario bottling plant shuts down.
“I think the premier is misinformed,” Bezan said, adding that he hopes Ford will reconsider once presented with accurate information about where and how the whisky is produced.
Crown Royal is distilled at a facility in Gimli, Man., operated by Diageo, which owns the brand. While the company announced last year it would close its bottling plant in Amherstburg, Ont., Diageo has said it will continue to maintain a significant presence in Canada. The Ontario plant was listed for sale in December, and most of its roughly 160 workers ratified a closure agreement in November.
Ford has argued that the closure amounts to Canadian jobs being shifted to the United States and has said Crown Royal will be removed from LCBO shelves as soon as the Amherstburg facility closes in February. He has dismissed claims that production will remain largely in Canada, insisting bottling will ultimately move south of the border.
Diageo, however, has said whisky destined for Canadian and non-U.S. markets will continue to be bottled at its Valleyfield, Que., plant, with volume from the Ontario facility shifting there.
Bezan warned that if Ontario follows through on its plan, Manitoba could respond with retaliatory measures, potentially targeting Ontario wine. Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries data shows annual sales of VQA Ontario wine in the province have ranged from $2.6 million to $3.2 million over the past three years.
Manitoba Economic Development Minister Jamie Moses said purchasing Crown Royal supports local jobs and stressed the importance of backing Canadian workers and products. The Rural Municipality of Gimli also reaffirmed that the distillery, which opened in 1968, remains a key employer and economic driver in the region.
Opposition Progressive Conservative MLA Derek Johnson echoed those concerns, warning against provinces turning on one another during a period of heightened trade tensions with the United States.
University of Manitoba business professor Barry Prentice questioned the logic of Ford’s stance, noting that Crown Royal remains a Canadian product regardless of where bottling occurs. “Who’s he actually hurting by doing all this?” Prentice asked.
The dispute has added another layer of interprovincial tension as governments grapple with economic uncertainty and ongoing trade pressures.
