Ontario Premier Doug Ford is escalating his fight with British-based alcohol maker Diageo, threatening to “leverage” the purchasing power of the LCBO and pull Crown Royal and Smirnoff vodka off store shelves.

Ford has been on a warpath against the company after it announced the closure of a bottling plant in Amherstburg, currently scheduled for February 2026, affecting 170 employees and potentially impacting the local economy.

In a viral moment of protest, Ford poured out an entire bottle of Crown Royal at a news conference to signal his displeasure with the company’s decision and has repeatedly bashed the company’s move as ill-conceived.

On Monday, during a leaders’ summit in Quebec City, Ford repeated his threat to pull Diageo-made products from store shelves and suggested the manuf

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