Kinew asks Ford to stand down on Crown Royal boycott invoking Team Canada

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew posted a social video urging Ontario Premier Doug Ford to drop his planned boycott of Crown Royal, saying the whisky supports jobs in Gimli and Quebec. The appeal follows Ford publicly pouring out Crown Royal after Diageo announced a plant closure in Ontario.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew posted a social media video asking Ontario Premier Doug Ford to reverse his planned boycott of Crown Royal and invoking the "Team Canada" approach to cooperation. The request comes after Ford publicly emptied a bottle of Crown Royal in response to Diageo's announcement of a bottling plant closure in southwestern Ontario. Crown Royal production and bottling involve other provinces, and politicians in Manitoba and Quebec have warned the planned Ontario ban could harm jobs elsewhere. The dispute arrives after a year in which Ford promoted interprovincial economic cooperation, a theme now showing signs of strain. Key points: - Kinew released a video filmed in Gimli in which he pretends to catch whisky spilled by Ford and praises Crown Royal as supporting good-paying jobs in Gimli, Manitoba. - The article reports Ford poured out Crown Royal following news that Diageo planned to close a bottling plant in southwestern Ontario. - Ford has said he would remove Crown Royal from provincial liquor stores and would not change his position if Diageo proceeds with the closure. - Crown Royal is made in Gimli, Manitoba, and has a bottling facility in Quebec, leading politicians in those provinces to express concern about an Ontario boycott. - The episode is described as testing the "Team Canada" trade and cooperation approach that Ford promoted during 2025, while separate disputes, such as over electric vehicle tariffs, have also strained relations. Summary: Kinew's video frames the Crown Royal dispute as an issue of interprovincial jobs and cooperation, appealing to Ford's prior emphasis on a Team Canada approach. The disagreement highlights tensions over provincial economic measures and their effects beyond provincial borders. Undetermined at this time.