Ontario Premier Doug Ford Unveils Sign to Reinforce Lake Ontario Name Amid US Name Change Proposal

Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a large sign on Canada's shoreline stating "Lake Ontario. Now and Always" in response to US President Donald Trump's executive order to rename the lake to Lake America. The order was signed on Thursday, with Trump sharing AI-generated videos related to the name change. Ford stated, "Long before President Trump, this lake was called Lake Ontario. Long after President Trump is gone, it will still be called Lake Ontario." The exchange follows the collapse of trade talks, resulting in the US imposing 50% tariffs on $20 billion (C$28 billion) of Canadian goods, with Canada planning to implement counter-tariffs next month. Trump’s decree is effective immediately, but Canadian officials have dismissed it, noting that other countries are not required to follow US name changes. Ford criticized Trump’s actions, suggesting they stem from a dislike of Canada asserting itself. He emphasized the importance of the lake's name, echoing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's previous assertion that the lake must be called by its rightful name. The Great Lakes, including Lake Ontario, have names derived from indigenous words, with Lake Ontario being the smallest of the Great Lakes, bordering Ontario and New York. Trump's executive order requires the US Department of the Interior to update the name within 30 days. This is not the first instance of Trump attempting to rename a shared body of water; a similar order in 2025 changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which Mexico rejected, leading to a legal dispute with Google over map naming.