Diageo, an alcoholic beverage company, says it will be closing its Amherstburg, Ont., facility and moving some of its operations to the United States.
The company said it will close the facility where it bottles spirits like Crown Royal in February 2026.
It said it will move its bottling operations for products aimed at U.S. customers to the United States, while its products for Canadians will move to its Quebec facility.
The president of Diageo’s North America supply said it was not an easy decision.
“This was a difficult decision, but one that is crucial to improving the efficiency and resiliency of our supply chain network,” Marsha McIntosh said.
Diageo said it would continue to invest in Canada through “ongoing production, local operations, and contributions to local communities.”
“This isn’t just about the 170 union jobs at the plant, this is about the families, our community and our country. It’s about how we put our elbows up to protect Canadian jobs,” said Unifor Local 200 President John D’Agnolo.
He said it was the largest employer in Amherstburg and “the heart and soul of the community.” He added that the decision to close the plant “shows no loyalty to Canadian workers.”
Diageo said it would “maintain its significant footprint across Canada,” including at its warehouse in the Greater Toronto area, and its bottling and distillation facilities in Gimli, Manitoba, and Valleyfield, Quebec.
The company said that Crown Royal whisky for Canada and non-U.S. export markets would be bottled at its Valleyfield facility.
Unifor National President Lana Payne criticized the company, saying it did not inform the union or its members before making the announcement publicly. Payne said the move would be “unpopular” in the region and for a country “determined to protect jobs here at home.”
Payne also noted that the province “continues to boycott American liquor.”
The LCBO said it had stopped ordering U.S. products and that wholesale and retail customers were no longer able to order American products online.
