Canada installs large Lake Ontario sign in latest jab at US

Ontario's Premier, Doug Ford, responded to Donald Trump's actions by erecting a substantial sign on Canada's side of the lake, proudly proclaiming: "Lake Ontario. Now and Always."

The American president had, the previous Thursday, issued an executive order intending to rename the body of water shared by both nations as Lake America, and he also disseminated several computer-generated videos about it.

Ford stated that the lake carried the name Lake Ontario long before President Trump's time and would continue to be known as Lake Ontario long after President Trump's departure.

This verbal conflict emerged after the collapse of trade negotiations, which resulted in the US imposing new 50% tariffs on Canadian goods valued at $20 billion (C$28 billion). Canada plans to implement corresponding counter-tariffs next month, matching the US duties dollar for dollar.

Trump asserted that his directive to rename it Lake America became effective immediately upon his signing of the order.

While the US president possesses extensive authority over how the United States designates geographical features, other countries are under no obligation to adopt these changes. Canadian officials have dismissed Trump's initiative.

On Saturday, Trump further shared multiple AI-generated videos on social media, including one where he appeared to kick over a Lake Ontario sign and replace it with a new one that read: "Welcome to Lake America."

Another video displayed a group of Canadian geese, styled with the US president's hair, carrying rifles as they patrolled the banks of the newly named Lake America.

Ford indicated that Trump's decision to rename the lake stemmed from his displeasure with Ontario and Canada's assertiveness in defending their own interests.

Standing before the recently unveiled Lake Ontario sign, Ford commented that the sign was placed as a reminder for President Trump, or anyone else who might forget, that it remains Lake Ontario, indefinitely.

This statement mirrored an earlier reaction from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney concerning the dispute, who insisted that things should retain their proper names, and this specific lake is called Lake Ontario, both today and perpetually.

Four of the Great Lakes—Ontario, Huron, Michigan, and Erie—derive their names from Indigenous languages, while Lake Superior's name originates from an Anglicized French term. Lake Ontario, which is the smallest of the Great Lakes, shares its borders with both a Canadian province and the US state of New York.

Trump's executive order mandates that the US Department of the Interior update the name change within 30 days with the Geographic Names Information Service, which serves as the official repository for domestic geographic names within the United States.

Upon assuming the presidency in 2025, Trump issued a similar order converting the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Mexico has rejected this name alteration, arguing that a single nation cannot unilaterally rename an international body of water that is shared.

This earlier name change also led to a legal disagreement between Mexico and the technology company Google, which had updated the gulf's name in its mapping application.

Consequently, Google Maps users in the US now see "Gulf of America," while those in Mexico still view the "Gulf of Mexico." Users in other countries are shown "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)."

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