Ontario Premier Doug Ford delivered a message to U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, revealing a new Lake Ontario sign and saying the lake’s name is “always going to be Lake Ontario.”
The reveal of the sign in Winona, Ont., east of Hamilton, came as the U.S. president maintains his stance that Lake Ontario has been renamed Lake America after he signed an executive order earlier this week.
“President Trump can call it whatever he wants, but I can tell you the rest of the world will always call it Lake Ontario,” Ford told reporters. “I received numerous calls from governors, they’re saying we’re always going to call it Lake Ontario, and obviously Canada’s always going to call it Lake Ontario.
“We’re resilient and we’re strong Canadians and we’re always going to protect our sovereignty, always and we’ll never, ever back down.”
Trump signed an order directing the U.S. government to refer to Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes, as “Lake America,” in his latest shot against Canada after trade talks fell apart last week.
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He also criticized Canada’s trade policies while speaking in the Oval Office, but insisted he loved the country and that renaming the lake was not about sending a message.
Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to the change on Thursday, saying the name of Lake Ontario would remain “now and always.” Those words also appeared on the sign unveiled Saturday.
Carney also noted in a statement that the name Lake Ontario is more than 400 years old and “comes from the Wendat word Ontari’io, which, appropriately, means ‘the lake is beautiful, the lake is big.'”
Some U.S. politicians and MapQuest criticized and ridiculed the name change, with the mapping company saying it would not change the name on its maps.
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Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, took to social media to post a video of himself at a McDonald’s restaurant signing a fast food napkin to decree Lake Michigan would now be called “Lake Wisconsin.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also posted a photo of Trump Tower in Chicago, with the president’s name crossed out and the name “Natalie” featured, saying it was now called “Natalie Tower.” It appeared to be a reference to Natalie Harp, one of Trump’s closest aides.
The president has not backed down on the renaming, posting multiple images and videos on his Truth Social platform Friday and Saturday. In one such video, AI-generated Canada geese with what resembles Trump’s hairstyle march with weapons while the words “Lake America” appear below them.
Trump’s executive order says the U.S. lays claim to most of the “volume” of Lake Ontario and is mostly responsible for its security, economic activity and environmental stewardship.
The order directs U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to work with the Board on Geographic Names to ensure all U.S. federal government references to Lake Ontario, “including on executive department and agency maps, contracts, and other documents and communications,” reflect Trump’s name change.
Democrats, who are running to take control of Congress in November’s midterm elections, lambasted the move for not addressing Americans’ priorities.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump was putting his own grievances first and “Americans last.”
“Inflation increasing. The Iran war raging on with no end in sight. A trade war with Canada. And what does Trump want? To rename Lake Ontario,” he wrote on social media.
–with files from Global News’ Sean Boynton and Touria Izri
As a American I am so sorry that United States has a spoiled and evil person in the White House and his all his yes men that let a mentally unstable person make important decisions for our country. I love Canada and the Canadian people.
Lake Ontario Forever!
World couldnt care less about Clownada and United S*ithole
Lard Ford is just bluster. Hopefully he leaves soon. There is a need for the next Ontario Premier to have some level of basic intelligence and competence.
only a lieberal has their shirt in a knot, Trump knows how to troll them for fun. the other higher IQ voters could care less what the US names a lake
Sign guy buys pointless sign no one will see.
He acts like a hormonal woman.
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I wish Ford would drop this issue. Why is he lowering himself to a pissing match with the pathetic idiot to the south. Move on and be the adult.
I hope that Ford used his own money, not my tax money to build this juvenile sign. He has slipped to the same childish level as his American nemesis. H seems to be all mouth and very little action. How about a 50% export tax on power to the USA NOW!
Sure has hell doesn’t matter a rats ass what they call it
Ford has clearly had to many brewskys , filling his face with cheese cake at the cottage. You are an embarrassment.
I see. Indeed. Dlfnjsmandd,znsndkszn294721924-2(
Dementia Don’s been let off the lockdown ward again.
Great stuff. Put up more signs.
Perhaps report what the USA towns called in Ontario think about the name change. Are they going to rename their towns?
Someone in the USA said ‘If Russia sent a destroyer down the St Lawrence River into Lake America and pointed their guns at Toronto, it would be the USA that would have to come and defend Canada. So if something is defended by a country, that country has the rights to the name’
Absolutely!!
I’m Canadian and I will start calling it lake America because canada is gay and full of brown people now.
Everyone will continue to call it what it is just like the 51st state rhetoric it’s designed by the media to get the Elbows up crowd frothing at the mouth pathetic really !!!
Sharpening my bayonnette, greasing my barrel… Have no fear, Captain Newman’s here!
It’s ridiculous that this is receiving so much air time. Trump has the power to change how the lake is referred to in official U.S. government documents, but that change doesn’t affect it’s official name in Canada or the rest of the world. Making such a big deal out of Trump’s childish behaviour just boosts his ego and encourages more jeuvenile antics.
Then comes a stupid tax payer funded sign. Can’t wait to fire you. How much was it Dougie? HOW MUCH DID YOUR STUPID VANITY SIGN COST US?
Well, since this lake had a number of different names over all these years like: “What was the original name of Lake Ontario? Lake Ontario comes from the Indigenous Iroquoian (Haudenosaunee/Wyandot) word Ontarí:io, meaning “great lake” or “lake of shining waters”. It also happens to be part of NORTH AMERICA, AMERICA, both CANADA AND USA countries.
Let’s rename Ontario California to America California!
TrailerTrash Trump and this Dumpster Fire Gang demonstrate how butt hurt they are that Canada didn’t fall for America’s subterfuge on trade talks so he thinks he can punish Canada with a name change of a lake… how very high school.
Do they not know Canada is in America? LOL
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hello
The TDS is fierce among the 6-8 year olds commenting here.
Baby want a bottle? Grow up. You’re supposed to be doing what’s best for the province? Instead you’re a member of the circus.
Anonymous “Remember when Ford wasted money for ads to run in the USA just to annoy Trump.”
Those were not ads targeting Trump. They were ads reminding the conservative base of Reagan’s views on tariffs.
At that time Ford as the head of the associations of premiers was the only one trying to influence change. The federal parliament had been prorogued by Trudeau to save the LPC.
Why is Ford spending taxpayers money on a sign Canadians already know it’s Lake Ontario. Remember when Ford wasted money for ads to run in the USA just to annoy Trump. The best thing you can do to Trump is to ignore him and don’t play the game.
@winston: Are you for real or just another Trumpkin bot?! ‘Ontario’ is derived from the Iroquois word ‘kanadario’…..meaning sparkling water! Ofcourse, you would know that if you could read & comprehend anything beyond a grade 3 level! Un f’n real!
Doug Ford should have ignored The Orange Menace. Responding drew more attention to Trump’s childish games, exactly what he intended, and needs desperately.
wait shouldnt it be called something indian i meanm we rename everything else. lake ontario sounmds like a settler name.
MAGAts m: Sorry, NOT Sorry, it’s Lake ONTARIO….now & forever!
Sorry Flunky Ford, it is Lake America now. Thanks for playing…
How about “lake mistake” to remind us of the liberal dumpster fire and lard lad ford and his verbal diarrhea, not to mention Eby and wobbly canoe.
How much did the sign cost
Canadians should call it Big Brat Lake. Once again cannot helpbut r rememberback to Rex Tillerson’s comment during Donnie’s first administration while describing Trump.
Trump can call whatever he wants. It is a distraction because midterms are coming up in November. He has no way out of the wars that he single handedly created: the Iranian war, the “civil” American unrest, trade wars with the whole wide world especially the closest ally, the Canadians, and the worse: the scary American debt of $40 TRILLION and additional interest rates…that is $100,000 plus per American citizen. Wars just keep on piling up and they are going to explode because Americans will not tolerate this. Even Trump’s family are hiding. Haven’t heard a peep or support from Don, Eric, or Ivanka.
I like how Ford trolled this fat pos and he took the bait.
How/Why do we let the CRAZY LIKE a FOX distract us for his benefit. The response should be “lake Ontario” I/we don’t have time for childish tantrums no more comment let’s move on to something that matters. Period