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Canada's Ontario Premier Doug Ford has made a bold statement in the ongoing dispute over the naming of Lake Ontario, installing a prominent sign on the province's shoreline with the message: "Lake Ontario. Now and Always." This action comes in response to US President Donald Trump's executive order on Thursday, which sought to rename the lake as Lake America and featured a series of AI-generated videos showcasing the lake that spans both countries.
Ford, in a direct challenge to Trump, emphasized that the lake has historically been known as Lake Ontario and will continue to be so regardless of the president's decree. "Long before President Trump, this lake was called Lake Ontario. Long after President Trump is gone, it will still be called Lake Ontario," Ford declared.
The contentious naming debate was ignited following the collapse of trade talks between the two nations, resulting in the US imposing new 50% tariffs on $20bn (C$28bn) worth of Canadian goods. In retaliation, Canada has announced that it will implement "dollar for dollar" counter-tariffs starting next month.
While Trump has the authority to dictate how the US recognizes landmarks, it is not mandatory for other countries to follow suit. Despite this, Google announced that it had changed the name on its maps for users in the US, displaying it as "Lake America," while Canadians and users outside of the US and Canada will continue to see it as "Lake Ontario."
The tech giant's decision echoes a previous instance when Trump declared the Gulf of Mexico to be called the Gulf of America, prompting Google to label it accordingly for users in the US.
Canadian officials have publicly dismissed Trump's renaming efforts, with some viewing them as a symbolic gesture rather than a meaningful change. "Just in case President Trump or anyone else forgets, we've set up this sign to remind them, it's Lake Ontario, now and forever," Ford stated, standing in front of the newly unveiled sign.
The naming saga has drawn parallels to the response from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who insisted, "things must be called by their name, and this lake is called Lake Ontario - today and forever."
The names of four of the Great Lakes — Ontario, Huron, Michigan, and Erie — have their origins in indigenous words, while Lake Superior was named after an anglicized French term. Lake Ontario, the smallest of the Great Lakes, borders both the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of New York.
Trump's executive order tasked the US Department of the Interior with updating the name change within the Geographic Names Information Service, the official repository of domestic geographic names in the US.
Mexico also rejected Trump's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, arguing that a single country could not rename a shared body of international water.
This latest spat between the US and Canada over Lake Ontario is yet another example of the tense relationship between the two nations under the Trump administration, as both countries continue to navigate the complexities of trade and diplomatic relations.
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