Doug Ford Ignites Whisky War: Crown Royal Ban Rocks Manitoba Jobs

Paul Riverbank, 1/9/2026Ontario’s pull of Crown Royal in response to Diageo’s plant closure sparks political tension and economic unease, as jobs and community futures in both Manitoba and Ontario hang in the balance. A classic clash of local livelihoods and boardroom decisions plays out on the national stage.

What triggered Ford's move? The roots, as is often the case, are tangled in business decisions made far from Manitoba. Diageo, the global giant behind the whisky, decided to shutter its bottling operation in Amherstburg, Ontario and relocate the work to the US. The announcement quickly lit up political offices and union halls across both provinces.

Derek Johnson, who represents the Interlake-Gimli area at Manitoba’s legislative assembly, didn’t mince words. “Decisions like this by Premier Ford...jeopardize livelihoods here in Interlake,” he said, gesturing at the long web of suppliers and seasonal workers drawn in by the plant’s business. For him—and most in the area—this isn’t a policy debate, but a direct threat to family incomes.

Unions, never far from such discussions, came to the table as well. Jeff Traeger, president of UFCW 832, pointed out that every time a bottle of Crown Royal is poured, it’s Manitobans’ wages on the line. “Diageo hasn’t told us they’ll cut jobs at Gimli,” he admitted. “But if they try, we’re ready to defend our people.”

Ontario’s end of the story veers in a different direction. At the now-closed Amherstburg plant, over a third of the workforce has already landed elsewhere—some building minivans at Stellantis in Windsor, others clocking hours in the trades. John D’Agnolo, of Unifor Local 200, keeps track of the job numbers with a careful eye. “We’re down to about 101 employees left,” he says. Ontario’s government scrambled up reskilling programs in the aftermath, but for many, it felt like locking the barn after the horses had bolted. D’Agnolo’s criticism focused on the timeline: if the province had acted earlier, maybe Diageo could have been persuaded otherwise. But now, “By Feb. 28, there’s not an employee in the building.” Still, D’Agnolo throws his union’s support behind Ford’s boycott—insisting that only lost revenue will move a multinational’s needle.

Not surprisingly, the move sparked pushback from Manitoba leaders. Johnson, joined by party leader Obby Khan, fired off a letter pleading with Ford to reconsider, painting a picture of a whisky industry tightly woven into local life. Business groups, like the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, pressed Premier Wab Kinew to make Manitoba’s case directly.

Manitoba’s government locked arms with Ontario—at least on the matter of keeping American whiskies off their shelves, in a bid to support Canadian jobs. Jamie Moses, the province’s Minister for Business, summed up the sentiment: “Buying Crown Royal supports Manitoba jobs.” The line between economic nationalism and protectionism can be blurry—especially with communities left in the balance.

But if anyone expected Ford to offer hopeful reassurances about the Gimli facility, they didn’t get them. Brushing away questions about Manitoba’s whisky plant, the Premier offered up characteristic bluntness. “My good friend Wab Kinew, I love the guy. But they’re doing a little production there, and in Quebec—but it’s all BS. It’s all going to Alabama, mark my words.”

So who wins here? In Gimli, workers check their schedules and hope. In Amherstburg, others hang up their plant keys for the last time and chase down new opportunities. For now, lines drawn in boardrooms leave ripples in small towns, and the uncertainty is felt most by those far from the press conferences and letter exchanges. No matter where you stand in this tug-of-war between provinces and corporations, one thing is certain—the impact isn’t contained to the headlines or legislative chambers. Out here, it’s everyday people watching, waiting, and wondering what comes next.

The news hit the streets of Gimli in a way that doesn’t show up on spreadsheets or quarterly earnings calls. At one of the town’s longtime lunch spots, people traded rumors about Crown Royal’s future over chipped mugs of coffee. For the folks living in Manitoba’s Interlake region, Crown Royal isn’t just a drink—it’s employment, it’s summer jobs for students, and it’s a steady customer for the bakery and the scrapyard. Now, following Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s very public promise to ditch Crown Royal from the province’s liquor stores, uncertainty lingers over every local breakfast table.What triggered Ford's move? The roots, as is often the case, are tangled in business decisions made far from Manitoba. Diageo, the global giant behind the whisky, decided to shutter its bottling operation in Amherstburg, Ontario and relocate the work to the US. The announcement quickly lit up political offices and union halls across both provinces.Derek Johnson, who represents the Interlake-Gimli area at Manitoba’s legislative assembly, didn’t mince words. “Decisions like this by Premier Ford...jeopardize livelihoods here in Interlake,” he said, gesturing at the long web of suppliers and seasonal workers drawn in by the plant’s business. For him—and most in the area—this isn’t a policy debate, but a direct threat to family incomes.Unions, never far from such discussions, came to the table as well. Jeff Traeger, president of UFCW 832, pointed out that every time a bottle of Crown Royal is poured, it’s Manitobans’ wages on the line. “Diageo hasn’t told us they’ll cut jobs at Gimli,” he admitted. “But if they try, we’re ready to defend our people.”Ontario’s end of the story veers in a different direction. At the now-closed Amherstburg plant, over a third of the workforce has already landed elsewhere—some building minivans at Stellantis in Windsor, others clocking hours in the trades. John D’Agnolo, of Unifor Local 200, keeps track of the job numbers with a careful eye. “We’re down to about 101 employees left,” he says. Ontario’s government scrambled up reskilling programs in the aftermath, but for many, it felt like locking the barn after the horses had bolted. D’Agnolo’s criticism focused on the timeline: if the province had acted earlier, maybe Diageo could have been persuaded otherwise. But now, “By Feb. 28, there’s not an employee in the building.” Still, D’Agnolo throws his union’s support behind Ford’s boycott—insisting that only lost revenue will move a multinational’s needle.Not surprisingly, the move sparked pushback from Manitoba leaders. Johnson, joined by party leader Obby Khan, fired off a letter pleading with Ford to reconsider, painting a picture of a whisky industry tightly woven into local life. Business groups, like the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, pressed Premier Wab Kinew to make Manitoba’s case directly.Manitoba’s government locked arms with Ontario—at least on the matter of keeping American whiskies off their shelves, in a bid to support Canadian jobs. Jamie Moses, the province’s Minister for Business, summed up the sentiment: “Buying Crown Royal supports Manitoba jobs.” The line between economic nationalism and protectionism can be blurry—especially with communities left in the balance.But if anyone expected Ford to offer hopeful reassurances about the Gimli facility, they didn’t get them. Brushing away questions about Manitoba’s whisky plant, the Premier offered up characteristic bluntness. “My good friend Wab Kinew, I love the guy. But they’re doing a little production there, and in Quebec—but it’s all BS. It’s all going to Alabama, mark my words.”So who wins here? In Gimli, workers check their schedules and hope. In Amherstburg, others hang up their plant keys for the last time and chase down new opportunities. For now, lines drawn in boardrooms leave ripples in small towns, and the uncertainty is felt most by those far from the press conferences and letter exchanges. No matter where you stand in this tug-of-war between provinces and corporations, one thing is certain—the impact isn’t contained to the headlines or legislative chambers. Out here, it’s everyday people watching, waiting, and wondering what comes next.