Manitoba’s leader has urged Doug Ford to reverse his decision to remove Crown Royal from liquor store shelves in Ontario. Wab Kinew, speaking at the Gimli, Manitoba distillery where the whisky is produced, emphasized that jeopardizing jobs in other provinces contradicts a united “Team Canada” approach in the trade dispute with the U.S. Kinew appealed to Ford to reconsider, emphasizing the importance of solidarity in facing external challenges.
Ford recently announced intentions to delist Crown Royal from Ontario’s liquor stores once Diageo, the brand’s British owner, closes a bottling plant in Amherstburg, Ontario, in February. He indicated that jobs currently located in Canada would be relocated to the U.S. However, Diageo assured that production volumes from Amherstburg would be shifted to a facility in Valleyfield, Quebec, while affirming its commitment to maintaining operations in Gimli.
Kinew stressed the significance of Canadian production for Crown Royal, asserting that it must be made in Canada to retain its authenticity. The Mayor of the Rural Municipality of Gimli, Kevin Chudd, underlined the plant’s importance to the community, lauding it as a vital economic contributor. Despite acknowledging a strong relationship with Kinew, Ford remained firm in his decision to remove Crown Royal from LCBO shelves.
The national president of United Food and Commercial Workers, Barry Sawyer, warned that Ford’s stance could harm Canadian workers and create interprovincial trade barriers. The Gimli and Valleyfield plants collectively employ around 400 workers. Kinew refrained from detailing the economic impact on Manitoba but highlighted the ripple effects of similar actions in the U.S. market.
In response to potential retaliation from Manitoba, Federal Conservative MP James Bezan suggested that Ontario wine could be targeted. Kinew, however, emphasized Manitoba’s stance against retaliatory measures, emphasizing the importance of preserving Canadian jobs across provinces. The province’s commitment to avoiding reciprocal actions aligns with its belief in fostering interprovincial cooperation.