Diageo’s $23M deal with province does ‘very little to nothing’ for Amherstburg, says town mayor

Amherstburg’s mayor says a new multi-million-dollar agreement between the province and Diageo falls short. CTV's Travis Fortnum reports.

Amherstburg’s mayor says a new multi-million-dollar agreement between the province and Diageo falls short of what many in the community hoped to see for workers losing their jobs at the local bottling plant.

About 200 jobs are set to disappear when the Amherstburg facility closes at the end of February.

On Friday, the Ontario government announced it had struck a deal with Diageo after months of pressure tied to the planned closure of the facility.

The company is committing nearly $23 million in investments across Ontario, while Crown Royal products will remain on LCBO shelves.

About $1 million of that funding is earmarked for Windsor-Essex.

Mayor Michael Prue said while he was not expecting a long-discussed deal between Diageo and the province to keep the plant open, he was hoping more money would be directed to the community facing the job losses.

“What Amherstburg has tried to do, amongst a lot of other people, is to have the plant sold and that the new owners would take it over and ensure that the people had a job to continue,” Prue said. “The deal that was made today was between the province and Diageo, and it does very little to nothing to help the affected workers.”

Prue said about $500,000 of Diageo’s investment will go directly toward projects in Amherstburg, which he argues represents only a fraction of the total deal.

“That’s all. Just two per cent,” said Prue. “So is it a good deal for this town and the workers who live here? Absolutely not. Is it a good deal for Ontario, maybe, but not for us.”

According to the province, the agreement includes:

• $500,000 for economic development in Windsor-Essex
• $500,000 for community projects in Amherstburg
• $11 million to purchase spirits produced in eastern Ontario
• $3 million for ready-to-drink beverages through a Toronto co-packer
• $2 million for packaging through a Scarborough co-manufacturer
• $1 million for agricultural organizations
• $5 million for Ontario-based marketing and promotion

Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy acknowledged while the Amherstburg plant is still closing, the agreement comes with talk of a possible canning facility in Ontario.

“That is just a conversation. It’s not a commitment,” Bethlenfalvy said. “But having that dialogue is very positive.”

As for Prue, he said Amherstburg continues to push Diageo to sell the plant to a buyer willing to keep operations running.

At least two potential buyers have expressed interest in keeping the facility open and maintaining the workforce, according to Prue, with a third possible industrial use also being discussed.

“We are just anxious that the workers get to keep their jobs and the jobs stay in Amherstburg,” Prue said.

In a written statement, Windsor West NDP MPP Lisa Gretzky criticized the deal, saying it does nothing for the roughly 200 workers affected by the closure.

“The plant will still be closed. Not a penny of the $23 million will go towards helping these workers feed their families,” Gretzky said.

Diageo announced plans to close the Amherstburg bottling facility — the town’s largest employer — in August 2025 as part of changes to its North American supply chain.