Why two Canadian provinces are in a spat over Crown Royal whisky

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete January 14, 2026 at 06:38 PM

AI Summary

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A dispute between the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba has emerged over Crown Royal whisky. The conflict began after Diageo, the British-owned company that produces the Canadian whisky, announced it would close its bottling plant in Amherstburg, Ontario, in February as part of a restructuring to move bottling operations closer to the US. In response, Ontario Premier Doug Ford publicly poured out a bottle of Crown Royal and threatened to remove the product from Ontario liquor stores. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew visited the Crown Royal distillery in Gimli, Manitoba, a key employer for the small town, and urged Ford to reconsider. Ford speculates the bottling operations will move to Alabama, though Diageo has stated bottling for Canada and non-US markets will move to Quebec.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

UK 35% Quebec 40% Amherstburg 40% United States ×260% Gimli ×265% Wab Kinew ×370% Manitoba ×375% Doug Ford ×580% Ontario ×485% Diageo ×690% Crown Royal ×595%

Keywords

crown royal 100% whisky 90% canadian provinces 80% trade spat 70% diageo 70% bottling plant 60% liquor stores 50% us tariffs 50% doug ford 40% manitoba 40%