Ontario has confirmed that Crown Royal will continue to be available in the province’s liquor stores following an agreement with Diageo, the company’s parent company, to invest nearly $23 million in the alcohol and agriculture sectors. However, the deal does not address the impending job losses at the end of the month, as expressed by the town’s mayor and the worker union.
Diageo had previously announced the closure of its Amherstburg bottling plant in southwestern Ontario, affecting close to 200 employees by the end of February. Premier Doug Ford emphasized that the investment aims to enhance provincial supply chains and provide support to the local community in Amherstburg and its surroundings.
The agreement secures the presence of Crown Royal on LCBO shelves, with Diageo expressing gratitude to Premier Ford and his team for their leadership in reaching a resolution. While a portion of the funds will benefit Amherstburg, the majority is allocated to the alcohol and agriculture sectors across the province.
Invest WindsorEssex will receive $500,000 for economic development in Amherstburg and an additional $500,000 for community projects. The organization is collaborating with the community to identify specific program supports that align with Amherstburg’s evolving economic needs.
Diageo’s investment includes $11 million to purchase grain spirits from Greenfield in Johnstown to support local production in eastern Ontario. The company will also allocate funds for new packaging, Ontario-based marketing, explore a new canning facility in Ontario, and contribute $1 million to organizations supporting the agriculture sector.
Mayor Michael Prue of Amherstburg expressed disappointment with the agreement, stating that the allocated funds do not directly benefit local workers as anticipated. Unifor Local 200 President John D’Agnolo echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the inadequacy of the investment considering the company’s substantial earnings in the province.
Efforts are underway to attract a new company to the bottling facility to preserve jobs, although challenges persist following Diageo’s listing of the plant for sale. The impact of job losses on a town like Amherstburg is described as devastating, with concerns raised about the distribution of funds to other regions rather than addressing local needs.