Ontario Erects 'Lake Ontario' Sign in Defiance of Trump's Renaming Order
Evan Semones
Ontario Premier Doug Ford installed a billboard-sized 'Lake Ontario' sign near Hamilton, pushing back against President Trump's executive order renaming the lake 'Lake America.' Ford called the move a reaffirmation of the lake's name, as trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada continue to escalate.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has unveiled a colorful new response to U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial executive order renaming Lake Ontario as "Lake America."
On Saturday (Aug. 30), Ford posted a video filmed on the lakefront near Hamilton, Ontario, showing a billboard-sized light-blue sign with white lettering reading "Lake Ontario." Beneath it, a subtitle reads "Now and Always," repeated in French—Canada's second official language.
Ford, known for his combative style toward the U.S. president, explained the sign was erected to reaffirm the lake's name "in case President Trump—or anyone else—forgets."
"Long before President Trump, this lake was called Lake Ontario. And long after President Trump is no longer in power, it will still be called Lake Ontario," Ford said in the video posted on social media.
Trump signed the renaming order on Aug. 27, amid an escalating trade war between the U.S. and Canada. The order changes how the U.S. federal government refers to the water body but drew criticism from both allies and opponents. Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, called the move "petty and disappointing." Many politicians urged Trump to return to the negotiating table rather than provoke Canada, a longtime ally.
Canada is one of the U.S.'s top two trading partners and was its largest export market as of 2024. The ongoing trade tensions have sparked boycotts of American goods in Canada, alongside bans on U.S. alcohol in several provinces.
Ford, a right-wing populist, has become a prominent voice advocating for Canadian retaliation. Since Trump began his second term in 2025, the U.S. president has called on Canada to give up sovereignty and become a U.S. state, while repeatedly imposing tariffs on its northern neighbor.
Over the weekend, Ford intensified his criticism of Trump after trade talks collapsed, leading the U.S. to impose 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. In a radio interview in Toronto, Ford declared: "He can kiss my ass. We will fight him tooth and nail."
Trump responded on Truth Social, mocking Ford as "less charismatic, less intelligent, and less impressive" than his late brother, former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Trump also warned: "Someone should get these clowns in line, or the consequences for Canada will be much worse."
This is not the first time Ford has taken dramatic action to confront Trump. Last year, his government spent $75 million on an anti-tariff ad using the voice of late President Ronald Reagan, aired in the U.S. The ad led the Trump administration to cancel trade talks in protest, with some U.S. cabinet members likening it to election interference. Ford eventually pulled the ad in October, saying he had achieved his goal of "sparking a conversation" about tariffs' impact on workers and businesses.
Since 2018, Ford has led Ontario—considered Canada's automotive manufacturing hub, with plants tightly linked to U.S. automakers across the border. A prominent conservative, he was once compared to Trump when he entered provincial politics during the U.S. president's first term. Some of his supporters used the slogan "Make Ontario Great Again," a twist on Trump's slogan. However, Ford has rejected comparisons to the U.S. president, insisting his family was involved in politics long before Trump.
