Tory MPs Criticize Ford’s Vow to Ban Crown Royal, Say It Will Hurt Manitoba Workers

A bottle of Crown Royal Canadian whisky is seen in Burlington, Ont., on Aug. 28, 2025. The Canadian Press/Sean Vokey

Conservative MPs are criticizing Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s retaliatory plan to ban Crown Royal whiskey from all provincially run liquor stores next month when manufacturer Diageo moves its bottling operation stateside.

Manitoba MP James Bezan called on Ford to focus on interprovincial trade rather than retaliation against the British alcoholic beverage company, which announced plans last summer to shutter its nearly 100-year-old southwestern Ontario bottling plant in February.

The company said bottling operations designated for the U.S. market will move south of the border ,and bottling for Canadian customers will be transferred to its current facility in Valleyfield, Que.

Ford confirmed during an unrelated press conference this week he is “100 percent” committed to removing Crown Royal from LCBO shelves once the doors of the Amherstburg plant close.

Bezan argued that Ford’s upcoming ban will harm Canadian workers, noting that the whiskey is made in his home province.

“Every drop of Crown Royal is made in Gimli, Manitoba using Manitoba grains and pure Interlake water,” he said in a Jan. 7 X post. “Premier Ford, instead of attacking an iconic Canadian whiskey, let’s tear down interprovincial trade barriers and put Canada First.”

Bezan also suggested that the premier’s decision to boycott Crown Royal could have some unanticipated consequences.

“If you go ahead with your threats, don’t be surprised if Manitoba pulls Ontario wine from our liquor markets,” he added.

Ontario MP Dean Allison voiced his support for Bezan’s stance with a social media post of his own.

“Crown Royal is proudly Canadian — made by Canadian workers, with Canadian grain, and exported to the world. Attacking our own producers helps no one,” the Niagara West MP said on X. “If the Premier wants to ‘put Canada first,’ the fastest win is tearing down interprovincial trade barriers that punish farmers, workers, and consumers alike.”

The Epoch Times contacted Ford’s office for comment, but did not receive a response prior to publication.

Ford first criticized Diageo’s decision during a September press conference by emptying a bottle of Crown Royal whiskey onto the ground. He then pledged at a press conference the following month to remove the whiskey from LCBO shelves unless the company re-evaluated its plans to close its Ontario plant.

Ford has repeated the threat several times since then and affirmed his commitment to proceed with his promise when questioned by reporters during a Jan. 5 press conference.

Interprovincial Trade

Ontario and Manitoba signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last May to remove trade barriers in response to the impact of U.S. tariffs. One aspect of the MOU was establishing frameworks for direct-to-consumer alcohol sales.

The government of Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew would need to make the decision to halt the sale of Ontario wine in his province, while Bezan’s post suggested that could happen. The Epoch Times was unable to reach Bezan to clarify his comment.

Ford said at the time that interprovincial trade barriers result in a cost of “up to $200 billion every year,” to Canada’s economy, highlighting that these barriers impede the nation’s economic advancement.

“We need to do everything in our power to unleash our economy and create new opportunities for workers and businesses,” Ford added.

If Ontario moves ahead with its boycott of Crown Royal it will be the second time in a year that the premier has ordered specific alcohol products removed from LCBO stores.

Ford also ordered the LCBO to remove American alcohol from its store shelves last March in response to the ongoing trade dispute with the United States. Ford has said American alcohol products will stay off Ontario shelves until tariffs are removed or Canada secures a trade agreement with the United States.

Ford told reporters on Jan. 5 that that boycott has resulted in increased profits for Ontario winemakers and breweries.