Doug Ford pours out bottle of Crown Royal over upcoming Ontario plant closure

By: Allison Jones, The Canadian Press Posted: 1:16 PM CDT Tuesday, Sep. 2, 2025 Last Modified: 3:22 PM CDT Tuesday, Sep. 2, 2025

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford reacted angrily Tuesday to news of the closure of a plant that bottles Crown Royal, pouring out a bottle at a press conference and encouraging others to dump the whisky as well.

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Spirits maker Diageo announced last week that it will cease operations at its bottling facility in Amherstburg, Ont., early next year, as it shifts some bottling volume to the United States.

The move will affect about 200 jobs.

The company has said it was a difficult decision made to improve the efficiency and resiliency of its supply chain, but Ford had some choice words for them.

“I always say, smart people aren’t too smart, and you guys are about as dumb as a bag of hammers for doing this,” Ford said in a rant directed at Diageo.

The premier then produced a bottle of Crown Royal and proceeded to slowly dump it out at the end of an unrelated press conference, saying everyone should do the same and instead support companies that make whisky in Ontario.

Diageo has said it will engage with the community and find ways to support its employees through the transition, and work alongside Unifor to assist unionized workers.

The company said it will still maintain a “significant” footprint in Canada — including its headquarters and warehouse operations in the Greater Toronto Area, and bottling and distillation facilities in Manitoba and Quebec.

The company’s Crown Royal products will continue to be mashed, distilled and aged at its Canadian facilities, it said, and Crown Royal bottled for the Canadian market will remain bottled in Canada.

Ford said he asked the company if there were any incentives Ontario could provide to save the jobs but Diageo officials said no. The premier issued a vague warning to the company.

“You hurt my people, I’m going to hurt you,” Ford said, without specifying any future actions.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford empties a Crown Royal bottle of whisky at a press conference in Kitchener, Ont., on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. Ford criticized the popular whisky's parent company, Diageo, for their plan to close one of their Ontario bottling plants in the coming months. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan

“You’re going to feel the pain in February when these people don’t have a paycheque and I’m going to stand up for the people of Ontario.”

Liberal John Fraser said Ford’s stunt is “all sizzle, no steak.”

“It’s a great performance,” he said. “It’s just not going to put food on the table for the people who are suffering, the people who are going to lose their jobs. You need to have some substance.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2025.