Ottawa residents who reach for a bottle of Crown Royal at their local LCBO may not realize how close Canada came to losing one of its most iconic whisky brands from store shelves, and why one small-town mayor thinks the province gave up its leverage too soon.
The Standoff That Wasn't
Earlier this year, Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened to pull Crown Royal from LCBO shelves as part of a broader counter-tariff response to pressure from the United States. The move was dramatic and deliberate. Crown Royal, despite being a quintessentially Canadian brand, is owned by British multinational Diageo and exported primarily for American consumption. Ford's threat was designed to hit back where it hurts.
For a moment, it seemed to work. Diageo began exploring the sale of its Crown Royal production facility in Amherstburg, a small town near Windsor, Ontario. The plant is a major local employer, and the prospect of a sale, potentially to Canadian buyers, raised hopes that the brand's production could stay rooted in Ontario under more local stewardship.
The Mayor's Frustration
But then Ford backed down. And according to Amherstburg Mayor Michael Prue, that's exactly when things went sideways.
"As soon as Doug Ford stood down his threat to ban Crown Royal, Diageo appeared to lose steam in its attempts to quickly sell the facility," Mayor Prue told Global News.
Prue's argument is straightforward: the ban threat was leverage. The moment Ford removed it, Diageo had no urgency to sell. The company could take its time, drag its feet, or walk away from the deal entirely, and the community of Amherstburg would be left holding the bag.
It's a classic negotiating problem. Once you fold your cards, the other side knows exactly how serious you are.
Why It Matters Beyond Amherstburg
For Ottawa residents and consumers across Ontario, this story is a window into how the ongoing Canada-U.S. trade tension plays out at the local level. The Crown Royal saga is really a microcosm of the larger tariff battle: big multinational companies caught between two governments, small communities bearing the economic risk, and politicians making decisions with real consequences for real workers.
Ottawa's own economy, so tied to federal government employment and tech sector growth, is somewhat insulated from manufacturing shutdowns. But the province's ability to use economic tools like the LCBO as a bargaining chip directly affects how well Ontario, and by extension, all its cities, can push back against trade pressure.
The LCBO, which is controlled by the province, is one of the largest purchasers of alcohol in the world. That's genuine leverage. Whether Ford chooses to use it consistently is another question.
What Happens Next
The fate of the Amherstburg Crown Royal plant remains uncertain. Without renewed pressure from the province, Diageo's timeline for any potential sale could stretch indefinitely, or the deal could simply collapse.
Mayor Prue is calling for more decisive and sustained action if Ontario truly wants to protect Canadian jobs and industry in the face of U.S. economic pressure. Whether Queen's Park is listening remains to be seen.
In the meantime, crack open that bottle of Crown Royal, and maybe think about where it was made.
Source: Global News Ottawa
