Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is urging Premier Doug Ford to abandon his plans for a boycott of Crown Royal whisky in Ontario liquor stores, saying such a move will hurt jobs in Manitoba.
“I’m calling on Premier Ford to stop his plan when it comes to LCBO taking Crown off the shelves,” Kinew said during a Jan. 13 press conference outside the Gimli, Man., plant operated by spirits giant Diageo.
The plant north of Winnipeg, where the whisky is mashed, distilled, and aged, employs approximately 76 people.
Ford has vowed to pull Crown Royal from Ontario liquor store shelves starting next month in retaliation for Diageo deciding to close its nearly 100-year-old bottling plant in southwestern Ontario in February. The closure of the Amherstburg plant affects roughly 200 jobs.
Diageo announced last summer its plan to move its bottling operation for the U.S. market stateside while bottling for Canadian customers will be transferred to its current facility in Valleyfield, Que.
Ford said last week he is “100 percent” committed to removing Crown Royal from LCBO shelves once the doors of the Amherstburg plant close.
Kinew says he has spoken to Ford on two occasions to ask him to reconsider, adding that there should be a united approach from premiers that doesn’t hurt jobs.
“Right now, I just really want to take this opportunity to encourage my buddy Doug to just not follow through on what he’s been saying,” Kinew said. “We recognize that he’s doing his job for the people of Ontario, but the reality is that Ontarians are Canadians, just like people here in Gimli. And these jobs here in Gimli are super, super important.”
Other politicians have publicly called on Ford to change his stance.
Manitoba Tory MP James Bezan last week said Ford’s upcoming ban will harm Canadian workers.
“Premier Ford, instead of attacking an iconic Canadian whiskey, let’s tear down interprovincial trade barriers and put Canada First,” he said in a Jan. 7 X post. “If you go ahead with your threats, don’t be surprised if Manitoba pulls Ontario wine from our liquor markets.”
Regarding Bezan’s suggestion, Kinew has said he has no intention of pulling Ontario liquor from Manitoba shelves, no matter what Ford’s government does. He said Manitoba intends to lead by example by not putting jobs in any province at risk.
Ford told reporters at the Ontario legislature later that day that he had spoken with Kinew by phone about the issue, but that he has no plan to reconsider his stance.
“[Kinew] is doing his job. He’s trying to protect jobs in Manitoba. I’m protecting jobs here in Ontario and he respects that. I respect him,” Ford said. “Crown Royal should have thought twice before closing their plant here.”
‘Team Canada’
If Ontario proceeds with its boycott of Crown Royal, it will mark the second occasion within a year that the premier has mandated the removal of certain alcoholic products from LCBO shelves.
Ford also ordered the LCBO to remove American alcohol from its store shelves last March in reaction to the ongoing trade disputes with the United States. Ford has said American alcohol products will not be available in Ontario stores until tariffs are lifted or Canada reaches a trade agreement with the United States.
Kinew referred to Canada’s ongoing trade dispute with its southern neighbour during his press conference, saying all provinces need to work together “on Team Canada against the threat” from U.S. President Donald Trump.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand,” he said. “We’ve got to stick together as provincial leaders. We’ve got to stick together as Canadians.”
Kinew added that he’s confident Diageo will remain in Gimli for the long-term, noting that he had spoken to the company, which he said confirmed its “commitment” to the Manitoba plant.
Kinew also announced a clean energy project between the province and the company during the press conference. He said Manitoba Hydro will construct a new transmission line to the facility and Diageo plans to replace its natural gas boilers with electric systems.
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