It’s not clear if delayed $245M St. Clair project could benefit

The Independent

Diageo and the Ontario government have reached a $23 million deal that invests in Ontario and returns Crown Royal to liquor store shelves.

Last summer Diageo announced the closure of its Amherstburg bottling plant putting 200 people out of work. Premier Doug Ford lashed out, pouring Diageo’s famous Crown Royal in anger and pulling the liquor from the shelves.

Friday, the province announced that while the Amherstburg plant won’t reopen, Diageo has commited to $23 million in new investments in the province including

• $500,000 to Invest WindsorEssex for economic development with a focus on Amherstburg and the surrounding area, and $500,000 to other community projects to support residents of Amherstburg
• $11 million investment to purchase grain neutral spirits manufactured by Greenfield Global in Johnstown, supporting local production in eastern Ontario
• $3 million investment in new ready-to-drink beverages such as Crown Royal, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan canned beverages through a Toronto-based co-packer to supply the Canadian market
• $1 million in direct funding to organizations that support the growth and sustainability of Ontario’s agricultural sector
• $2 million investment in new packaging for pre-mixed beverages through a new co-manufacturer in Scarborough
• $5 million in Ontario-based marketing and promotion
• A commitment to explore options to establish a new Ontario canning facility.

Diageo has land in St. Clair Township where it planned to build a new a $245-million state-of-the art Crown Royal distillery. It “indefinitely delayed” the project in Nov. 2024. It’s unclear if the deal with the province could lead to any movement on the project.

St. Clair Township Mayor Jeff Agar says he was unaware the province was working on a deal with Diageo saying Friday’s news release from the province was the first he’d heard of the incentives.