Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded to President Donald Trump’s recent executive order to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” by erecting a 24‑by‑12‑foot sign on the Canadian shoreline near Grimsby. The sign, which reads “Lake Ontario. Now and Always” in both English and French, stands on 6‑foot legs and rises roughly two stories high.
Local display underscores national dispute
Ford, wearing a Team Canada soccer jersey, posed beside the billboard and posted a video to social media, asserting that the lake’s historic name will endure long after President Trump leaves office. “Long after President Trump is gone, it will still be called Lake Ontario,” he said.
Canadian officials have mocked the renaming effort. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew likened Trump’s attempt to an aging rock band trying to revive an old hit, while historian Robert Bothwell called it “moronic.” University of Toronto professor emeritus Nelson Wiseman warned that Trump’s push aims to make Canada act like a vassal state.
Broader tensions over trade and sovereignty
The naming controversy comes amid a worsening trade dispute. Negotiations between the United States and Canada collapsed last week, with both sides accusing the other of last‑minute demands. Canada announced retaliatory tariffs set to take effect next month.
President Trump has continued to promote the “Lake America” label, reposting a meme that depicts Canada geese with Trump‑style blond hair firing rifles to “protect” the lake. He has previously displayed a “Gulf of America” map in the Oval Office and posted images suggesting Canada could become the 51st state.
Indigenous and historical context
The name Lake Ontario originates from the Huron word “oniatarí:io,” meaning “lake of shining waters.” Wendat Nation Grand Chief Pierre Picard condemned Trump’s move as an attempt to erase Indigenous history, culture, and identity.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the renaming, emphasizing the lake’s Indigenous roots and noting that the name predates both Canadian Confederation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence. No legal mechanism exists for the president to force Canada to adopt the new name.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
