Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is calling on Premier Doug Ford to back down on his threat to remove Crown Royal from the LCBO, suggesting the move would threaten manufacturing jobs in other parts of the country.
Citing global restructuring, international spirits maker Diageo announced it would cease operations at its Amherstburg, Ont., bottling plant at the end of February, throwing roughly 160 employees out of work.
While those Ontario jobs would be moving to the United States, the company plans to maintain its manufacturing facilities in Gimli, Man., and Valleyfield, Que.
In an act of protest last September, Ford poured out a bottle of Crown Royal at a news conference and vowed to strip the LCBO of the Canadian-distilled whiskey as retribution for the company’s decision to relocate.
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The premier has doubled down on his position several times, asserting his belief that Diageo will eventually move the entire Canadian production line stateside.
“As sure as I’m talking to you, that Crown Royal is coming off the shelves,” Ford told reporters on Tuesday at Queen’s Park.
Kinew, who visited front-line workers at the Crown Royal plant in Gimli on Tuesday, called on Ford to “change his mind.”
“When we’re talking about Team Canada, we have to stay united across the provinces,” Kinew said. “Having a Team Canada approach can’t mean targeting jobs in another province.”
“I just want to take this opportunity to encourage my buddy Doug to just not follow through,” Kinew said.
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Kinew said the Crown Royal plant represents one of three major employers in Gimli — a point Kinew has made during repeated conversations with Premier Ford.
“You are going hurt Canadian jobs, you are going to hurt Manitoba jobs if you follow through with this,” Kinew told Ford during multiple phone calls in January.
Ford, who said he “respects” Kinew and the two premiers share a “phenomenal relationship,” said he wasn’t willing to back down.
“He’s doing his job, he’s trying to protect jobs in Manitoba. I’m protecting jobs here in Ontario,” Ford said.
Kinew said he wasn’t willing to start an internal trade war with Ontario but would continue to appeal to the province’s “better nature.”
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