Watching Ontario Premier Doug Ford theatrically dump a bottle of Crown Royal was one of the most misguided political gestures we’ve seen in some time — at least since the beginning of Canada’s recent trade dispute with the United States.

Ford stopped short of demanding the LCBO pull the brand from shelves, but the damage was done. By calling for a boycott of one of Canada’s most recognizable spirits, he undermined the very principle of fair competition.

For any multinational considering investment in Ontario, the message could not be clearer: Market access here is vulnerable to political whims rather than driven by the rules of supply and demand. That uncertainty is poison to capital flows.

The irony is striking. Crown Royal, a Canadian icon distilled domestically for generations, remai

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