Key facts
- President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing U.S. federal agencies to call Lake Ontario 'Lake America.'
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a large sign on the Canadian shoreline reading 'Lake Ontario. Now and Always.'
- The name 'Lake Ontario' originates from the Huron Indigenous word 'oniatarí:io,' meaning 'lake of shining waters.'
- The Seneca Nation criticized the renaming, citing treaty violations and disrespect for Indigenous heritage.
- The dispute occurs amid worsening trade relations and retaliatory tariffs between the U.S. and Canada.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded to President Donald Trump's executive order to rename Lake Ontario 'Lake America' by unveiling a billboard-sized sign on the Canadian shoreline that reads 'Lake Ontario. Now and Always.' Ford, wearing a Team Canada soccer jersey, unveiled the sign near Grimsby, Ontario, stating that the name would outlast Trump's presidency.
The move is the latest in a series of escalating tensions between the U.S. and Canada, particularly concerning trade disputes and retaliatory tariffs. Trump had previously dismissed comments from Ford and other Canadian leaders, engaging in personal attacks and promoting the 'Lake America' name through memes.
Canadian officials and historians have largely met Trump's decree with ridicule and criticism. Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca condemned the order, citing treaty violations and disrespect for Indigenous heritage, as the name 'Lake Ontario' originates from the Huron Indigenous word 'oniatarí:io.' Wendat Nation Grand Chief Pierre Picard echoed these sentiments, calling it an attempt to erase Indigenous history. Canadian historian Robert Bothwell suggested Trump's actions indicate a desire to subordinate Canada, a sentiment echoed by Professor emeritus Nelson Wiseman.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the renaming, emphasizing the lake's Indigenous roots and its historical significance predating both Canadian Confederation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence.