Québec warns Ontario Crown Royal boycott could disrupt Canadian supply chains
Québec’s finance minister has asked Ontario to reconsider plans to remove Crown Royal from government stores, saying the boycott risks operations in Valleyfield and wider supply-chain disruption.
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By Torontoer Staff
Québec’s finance minister has told his Ontario counterpart that removing Crown Royal whisky from government-owned stores risks disrupting Canadian supply chains and could affect operations in Valleyfield, where Diageo bottles product for Canadian and non-U.S. export markets.
The warning from Eric Girard comes as Ontario Premier Doug Ford prepares a boycott of Crown Royal, a response to parent company Diageo’s decision to close its Amherstburg, Ont., bottling plant, a move that will eliminate about 200 jobs.
Québec raises concerns with Ontario finance minister
Girard said he has raised the matter with Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy and urged caution on the timing of any provincial action. In a statement, Girard said he understands the concerns of Ontario workers but that the boycott could have unintended consequences for Québec employees and operations.
In the current uncertain economic climate, particularly with the trade tensions with our southern neighbour, now is not the time to implement measures that risk further weakening Canadian supply chains.
Eric Girard, Québec finance minister
Girard highlighted the connection between the Ontario decision and Diageo’s bottling plans in Valleyfield, Que., southwest of Montreal, and said protecting Canadian workers, including those in Québec, is a priority for his office.
Diageo to shift some bottling to Valleyfield after Amherstburg closure
Diageo, the U.K.-based maker of Crown Royal, announced in August it will close the Amherstburg plant by February. The company said Crown Royal destined for Canada and non-U.S. export markets will be bottled at its existing facility in Valleyfield.
Diageo has also said it will continue to mash, distil and age Crown Royal in Canada, maintain headquarters and warehouse operations in the Greater Toronto Area, and keep its Gimli, Man., plant open. Last year the company announced construction of a new manufacturing plant in Alabama.
My Number 1 job is to protect the workers here in Ontario, protect their communities, protect the people of Ontario, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that we protect them.
Doug Ford, Ontario premier
Ford has said the boycott, which he plans to launch next month, is intended as retaliation for the Amherstburg closure. He has argued that some jobs lost in Ontario could end up in the United States.
Reactions from other provinces
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew urged Ford to reconsider the boycott and called for provincial unity. Kinew said last week that leaders should not take actions that fragment Canadian economic interests.
I’m asking you to reconsider because this is about sticking together as Team Canada.
Wab Kinew, Manitoba premier
Kinew added he would not remove Ontario liquor from Manitoba shelves in response, saying such a move would harm Canadian jobs. Québec’s liquor board, the Société des alcools du Québec, also said it will not remove Crown Royal, noting the product’s link to the Valleyfield facility.
Potential impact and next steps
Analysts and officials say the practical effects of an Ontario boycott depend on how widely other provinces follow suit and how quickly distribution arrangements can adapt. If provincial retailers remove Crown Royal, bottling volumes destined for domestic channels could shift and complicate Diageo’s logistics, potentially affecting production decisions in Valleyfield.
Diageo has framed the Amherstburg closure as part of a consolidation of its operations. The company has not linked the decision to any single market factor in Canada, but the move has prompted political responses in multiple provinces focused on protecting local jobs.
Ontario has not released full details of how the boycott will be implemented, including whether it will apply only to Crown Royal or to other Diageo brands stocked in government liquor stores. Ford has said the action will begin next month.
What officials are watching
- Whether other provincial liquor boards follow Ontario’s lead
- How Diageo adjusts bottling and distribution plans for Canadian and export markets
- Employment and procurement impacts at Valleyfield and other Canadian facilities
- Any federal response or involvement to mediate interprovincial economic impacts
For now, Québec and Manitoba have publicly opposed a boycott, while Ontario continues to frame the measure as a defence of local workers. The dispute highlights tensions in the alcohol industry over plant closures and the broader economic consequences for communities across provinces.
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