Explained: How a British-owned whisky 'Crown Royal' sparked a political fight in Canada

A British-owned whisky, made in Canada is sparking a fight between Ontario and Manitoba, putting Canada's "Team Canada" unity to the test amid US tariffs. It kicked off when Diageo, the whisky company, announced it'd close a bottling plant in Ontario to shift operations closer to American buyers.

Whisky that sparks provincial feud

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, usually on friendly terms, are clashing over Crown Royal after UK-owned Diageo announced closing its Amherstburg, Ontario bottling plant in February.According to the BBC, Ford dramatically poured out a bottle before reporters, vowing to pull it from Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) shelves, which is Canada's biggest alcohol buyer where Crown Royal tops whisky sales.

Diageo plans shifting Canadian bottling to Quebec, not the US as Ford fears, while keeping Gimli, Manitoba distillery humming.

Kinew visited Gimli Tuesday, urging Ford to "do a 180," as the plant anchors the 2,300-resident town's economy. "It's not too late to do the right thing," Kinew told the BBC Wednesday, staying optimistic despite Ford digging in.

Ford's fiery stand

The row started off last August when Diageo mentioned North American supply chain changes for the 50-year-old plant's shutdown, irking Ford.

"Here's what I think about Crown Royal," he said, dumping a full bottle and slamming Diageo owners as "dumb as a bag of hammers," per BBC reports. Ford warned operations head to "Alabama" and pushed boycotts to "hurt" the firm. CBC says Ford, "Captain Canada" against US tariffs, once pulled American liquor in retaliation, that irked Trump and stalled talks. Unifor union called it as "how you fight a trade war," backing 200 Amherstburg workers, but UFCW slammed "stunts" harming hundreds nationwide.

Manitoba's asks for unity

Diageo employs over 500 Canadians, including 100 Ontario jobs beyond Amherstburg, CBC confirms. Kinew warned Ford's boycott could backfire, "Let's not take action that would harm other Canadian workers, and let's focus on being united," amid US-China tariffs. Gimli got Diageo pledges, plus Manitoba Hydro's $19M line upgrade. Kinew, Canada's top-rated premier, invited Ford for Toronto-Winnipeg hockey to hash it out, "We can settle this thing and just put this episode behind us." Ford "politely declined," but lines stay open. Manitoba rejects retaliation like dumping Ontario wine, prioritizing jobs over "tit for tat".