François Legault SAQ Russian vodka boycott
News

François Legault is mulling a Russian vodka boycott at the SAQ

by Lorraine Carpenter

The Premier is considering having vodka and other Russian products removed from store shelves.

Quebec Premier François Legault told the media on Friday afternoon that he is considering a boycott of Russian products at the SAQ, particularly vodka. Given the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Legault is looking for ways to “penalize Mr. Putin and Russia, both in terms of purchases and sales,” at the provincial level.

“Everything we are able to do economically, including the sale of Russian products, we are actively considering it.”

—François Legault

It is worth noting that the most popular vodka in Russia, Stolichnaya, actually comes from Latvia, and Smirnoff is now owned by the Brits. And connoisseurs of the cheapest vodka at the SAQ, Russian Prince, might be surprised to learn that that delightful beverage is actually made in Quebec.

The idea of a boycott of Russian vodka at the SAQ was raised by the Parti Québécois this morning, according to La Presse.

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by Lorraine Carpenter

Editor in chief
Lorraine Carpenter was born in Montreal and studied communications and journalism at Concordia. She co-founded Cult MTL in 2012 following 12 years at the now-defunct Montreal alt weekly the Mirror, where she worked in editorial as copy editor and music editor. She’s dedicated to supporting the cultural scene in Montreal.