Quebec urges Ontario to rethink Crown Royal boycott, warns of supply-chain risks
Quebec finance minister Eric Girard told his Ontario counterpart a planned Crown Royal ban could disrupt Canadian supply chains and affect bottling operations in Valleyfield.
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By Torontoer Staff
Quebec’s finance minister, Eric Girard, said he has raised objections with Ontario officials over that province’s plan to remove Crown Royal whisky from government-run liquor stores, arguing the move risks disrupting Canadian supply chains and could affect Quebec operations.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has said the boycott, due to start next month, is retaliation after Diageo, Crown Royal’s parent company, announced it will close its Amherstburg, Ont., bottling plant. The closure will affect about 200 jobs.
Why Ontario is threatening a boycott
Ford framed the planned removal of Crown Royal from LCBO shelves as a measure to protect Ontario workers after Diageo’s August announcement that it will close the Amherstburg facility by February. Diageo has said some production and packaging capacity will move to a new plant in Alabama and to existing facilities outside Ontario.
Ontario’s position is focused on the loss of local bottling jobs and the expectation that some work will shift to the United States. Ford has repeatedly said his priority is protecting workers and communities in Ontario.
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
Quebec’s concerns and response
Girard said he understands the anxiety of workers affected in Ontario, but he cautioned that removing a major brand from provincial shelves could create knock-on effects for operations elsewhere in Canada, including at Diageo’s Valleyfield, Que., bottling facility southwest of Montreal.
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, Quebec finance minister
Girard said he has raised those concerns directly with Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy, and he said his priority is protecting Canadian workers, including those employed in Valleyfield.
My priority, as minister, is the protection of Canadian workers, including those in Quebec who work in Valleyfield and who will be affected by such a decision.
Eric Girard
What Diageo says it will do
Diageo, the UK-based drinks company, says Crown Royal destined for Canada and non-U.S. export markets will be bottled at its Valleyfield facility. The company also said it will keep mashing, distilling, and aging in Canada, maintain headquarters and warehouse operations in the Greater Toronto Area, and keep its Gimli, Man., plant open, which employs roughly 76 people and sources agricultural inputs from regional farmers.
The company’s plan to build a U.S. plant in Alabama was flagged last year as part of its broader North American manufacturing strategy.
Reactions from other provinces and retailers
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew publicly urged Ford to reconsider, framing the dispute as a matter of provincial solidarity. Kinew said retaliatory measures that remove Canadian products from shelves would hurt workers and would not be the right response.
I’m asking you to reconsider because this is about sticking together as Team Canada. We know that we’re standing together against the U.S. But a house divided against itself cannot stand. We’ve got to stick together as provincial leaders.
Wab Kinew, Manitoba premier
A spokeswoman for Quebec’s liquor board, the Société des alcools du Québec, said the SAQ will not remove Crown Royal from its stores, citing the link to the Valleyfield bottling facility.
Quick timeline and facts
- Diageo announced in August it will close its Amherstburg, Ont., bottling plant by February, affecting about 200 jobs.
- Diageo plans to bottle Crown Royal for Canada and non-U.S. export markets at Valleyfield, Que.
- The company will keep headquarters and warehouse operations in the Greater Toronto Area and maintain its Gimli, Man., plant.
- Ontario has said it will remove Crown Royal from LCBO shelves beginning next month as a punitive measure.
What comes next
The dispute now centres on whether Ontario moves forward with the boycott and how other provinces and retailers respond. Girard’s statement signals a willingness in Quebec to push back diplomatically to protect local operations, while Ford has framed the move as necessary to defend Ontario workers.
Any decision by Ontario to remove Crown Royal from the LCBO could prompt discussions among provincial governments and with suppliers about the best way to protect jobs while minimising disruptions for consumers and supply chains.
For now, the SAQ will continue to sell Crown Royal, Diageo says bottling for Canada will move to Valleyfield, and provincial leaders remain in talks as the situation develops.
Crown RoyalDiageoOntarioQuebecsupply chainslabour
