Ontario’s Doug Ford prods Trump with sign rejecting ‘Lake America’ name

What the report says

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has responded to US President Donald Trump’s order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” by unveiling a large blue sign that restores the lake’s original name. In a video posted on Saturday, Ford stood near the shoreline close to Hamilton, Ontario, and showed a billboard-style sign reading “Lake Ontario,” with the message “Now and Always” also shown in English and French.

Ford said the sign was meant to reinforce the lake’s name and to remind Trump, or anyone else, that the body of water has long been known as Lake Ontario. The move adds to Ford’s ongoing public clashes with Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Canada and imposed tariffs during an escalating trade dispute between the two countries.

Al Jazeera reported that the Trump administration’s renaming order drew criticism from some politicians, including Vermont Governor Phil Scott, who called it petty and disappointing. The report also noted that Canada is one of the United States’ most important trading partners, while Canadians have increasingly responded to the trade fight with boycotts and other forms of backlash.

Ford has used attention-grabbing tactics before, including an anti-tariff television ad last year that helped derail US-Canada trade talks. The latest sign underscores how the broader political and economic dispute between Washington and Ottawa has spilled into symbolism and public messaging.