Ford keeping Crown Royal on LCBO shelves after Diageo makes $23M deal

Crown Royal will remain on Ontario liquor store shelves, after its parent company agreed to $23 million in spending in the province, and Premier Doug Ford cancelled his plans for a boycott.

Ford had been threatening for months to pull the product from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) after Diageo announced it was closing a Crown Royal bottling plant in Amherstburg, near Windsor.

A decision which will impact around 160 employees.

Last September, Ford expressed his outrage by dumping the contents out of a bottle of Crown Royal during a press conference.

WATCH MORE: WATCH: Doug Ford dumps out Crown Royal whisky in protest of Ontario plant closure

As part of the agreement, Diageo has committed to nearly $23 million in new investments in Ontario, and as a result Crown Royal products made by Diageo will continue to be available for purchase through the LCBO.

“By standing firm in our plan to protect Ontario workers, we’ve secured nearly $23 million in investments that Ontario would not otherwise have seen,” said Premier Doug Ford in a statement.

“These investments will help keep Ontario workers on the job, strengthen provincial supply chains and support the local community in Amherstburg and the surrounding area.”

Key elements of the agreement includes Diageo investing $2 million for new packaging for pre-mixed beverages from a co-manufacturer in east Toronto, $1 million for organizations that support the growth of Ontario’s agricultural sector and $500,000 for economic development in the Amherstburg area.

Diageo will also invest $5 million in Ontario-based marketing and promotion, and a commitment to explore options to establish a new Ontario canning facility.

With files from The Canadian Press.

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