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There were hugs, tears and frustration outside the Diageo Crown Royal bottling facility in Amherstburg, Ont., as workers left the plant for the final time Wednesday afternoon.
Dean Lennox spent 23 years at the facility. He accused Diageo of wrecking the community.
“Every family here, retirees, generations — I had my nephew here as a student and it’s all gone. It’s disgusting corporate greed.”
Last summer, Diageo announced it would close the facility — said to be the southwestern Ontario town’s biggest employer — early into 2026, ending decades of bottling operations in the border community. The London, England-based spirits giant said the shutdown is part of a broader effort to improve its North American supply chain and move some bottling operations closer to U.S. customers.
There were over 200 workers at the Amherstburg plant at one point, but with many employees leaving after the impending closure was announced, about half remained.
On Wednesday, family members of some of the employees showed up outside the plant to support loved ones.
Kayla Butler’s father worked there for about a decade. She’s a former employee herself.
“My dad’s in his 50s, so watching him have to start over after being given such great opportunities to provide for us, it’s really, really challenging,” Butler said.
Her message to the company?
“Thanks for nothing,” she said.
After decades of operation, the Crown Royal bottling plant in Amherstburg has shut down, with workers completing their final shift on Wednesday. CBC’s Dalson Chen was there.
Larry Renaud worked at the facility for 40 years before retiring.
“It’s terrible — terrible for the town, terrible for the people that worked here,” he said.
He showed up outside the plant for his daughter, who’s worked there for more than 26 years. He said she’s devastated and facing finding employment in her 50s.
“She’s losing her job. No benefits, no pension.”
(Dax Melmer/CBC)
Unifor, which represents the workers, spoke out on Wednesday, criticizing the company for closing two days sooner than expected, though workers will still be paid for that remaining time.
“It’s clear Diageo didn’t want to face the scrutiny that would have come on the final day of operations, so its overseas executives opted to slink out of Ontario instead,” said Unifor Local 200 president John D’Agnolo, who represents the workers.
“Canadians will not forget that Diageo is a company that chose to walk away from a loyal workforce and add insult to injury by bottling a marquee Canadian whisky in America.”
Doug Benekritis, the Diageo chair for Unifor Local 200, said the employees had completed their shipping work, so the company decided to move up the closure date.
He said everyone was expecting a Friday closure, so it hit hard when they found out at 1:30 p.m. that the shift would be their last.
“It’s hard to hold it together,” Benekritis said.
The province has struck a nearly $23-million investment deal with global spirits giant Diageo after threatening to pull Crown Royal from LCBO locations over the closure of its Amherstburg bottling facility. But as Jason Viau reports, there’s criticism over how much Amherstburg is getting in the deal.
He said local management has been doing things to show appreciation for the employees.
“We don’t blame the people here. They don’t make the decisions,” he said.
CBC has reached out to Diageo for comment.
At the time the closure was announced, the global alcohol giant cited wanting to relocate bottling operations closer to its U.S. consumers, and noted Crown Royal will still be produced in Canada after its Amherstburg operations wrap up.
The announcement that the plant would cease operations led Ontario Premier Doug Ford to threaten to pull Crown Royal from LCBO shelves. Earlier this month, the province and the company inked a deal for Diageo to spend $23 million in the province, with a million of that earmarked for this region.
Lennox and Renaud both take issue with that deal.
“They could have sent that money down here,” Renaud said.
That deal was also panned by Amherstburg Mayor Michael Prue.
“None of this is going to help a single soul in Amherstburg,” he said at the time.
The Diageo property at 110 St. Arnaud St. is currently listed for sale.
