Ontario plant that’s bottled Crown Royal since 1971 listed for sale weeks before planned shutdown

The Diageo-owned property in Amherstburg, Ont., that bottles Crown Royal whisky has been listed for sale as the company prepares to shut down operations at the site early in 2026.

The property, with a 110 St. Arnaud St. address, appeared on REALTOR.ca on Monday, with annual land taxes listed at just over $310,000.

The industrial property, near Sandwich Street South and Alma Street, spans about 25 hectares (70.41 acres) and includes eight buildings totalling nearly 447,000 square feet. The listing notes direct rail access, secured yard space, trailer parking and clear heights ranging from 20 to 26 feet. 

In an email to CBC News, a Diageo spokesperson wrote, “We have listed our Amherstburg facility and are committed to conducting a formal and thorough process to identify qualified potential buyers.” 

The sale comes months after Diageo announced it would close its Amherstburg Crown Royal bottling facility by February, ending more than five decades of bottling operations in the border community.

In August, the London, England-based spirits giant said it was shutting the Ontario plant as part of a broader effort to improve its North American supply chain and move some bottling operations closer to U.S. customers. 

The Amherstburg plant has bottled Crown Royal since 1971. Bottling operations will shift to Diageo’s Valleyfield, Que., facility. Crown Royal whisky will continue to be mashed, distilled and aged in Canada, the company has said.

In early December, Amherstburg Mayor Michael Prue said the town was already looking beyond the closure and focusing on what could come next for the site.

Alcohol company ‘very serious’ about buying Crown Royal plant, says Amherstburg mayor

“I know some others, the union has worked trying to get Diageo to stay, but we are still concentrating on someone else to take over that factory,” Prue said.

Prue said at the time that a couple of companies had expressed interest in the facility once it closes its doors.

“We have facilitated, the town has, and I, as mayor, have facilitated meetings with the province of Ontario and people in the province to see what can be done in the short term to have the new company move into that facility,” he said.

“It would require a willing seller, though. Diageo owns the property, not the town, not the Ontario government, but Diageo would have to determine that they wanted to sell it, and we’re still hoping that that option will come through.”

Prue said he could not elaborate on the nature of the interested businesses, beyond saying they were in the alcohol industry.

Workers at the plant ratified a closure agreement earlier this month. That provides for increases in entitlements that will help employees through this transition. 

Members of Unifor Local 200 voted 89 per cent in favour of the deal, according to local president John D’Agnolo. Roughly 160 unionized workers can either leave now or remain until the plant closes.

Closure agreement signed for Crown Royal bottling plant in Amherstburg

The closure has drawn sharp criticism from the province. Premier Doug Ford has said Ontario would protest by pulling Crown Royal from LCBO shelves next year and previously dumped out a bottle of the whisky in response to the announcement.