Ontario Premier Doug Ford has introduced a striking, blue-themed response to President Donald Trump’s contentious decision to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America.”
On Saturday, Ford filmed a video beside the lake near Hamilton, Ontario, revealing a large, baby‑blue billboard that displays “Lake Ontario” in bold white lettering.
Underneath, the accompanying subheading reinforces Ford’s stance: “Now and Always.” The same wording is also presented in French, Canada’s second official language.
Ford, known for his frequent critiques of the U.S. president, said the sign was placed to remind people that the lake’s proper name is Lake Ontario, in case President Trump or anyone else forgets.
“Lake Ontario has always been called Lake Ontario,” Ford said in his social‑media video, “and it will remain so long after President Trump is no longer in office.”
The White House declined to comment on Al Jazeera’s request.
Amid a deepening trade dispute, President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday altering how the U.S. federal government refers to the body of water.
The order sparked criticism from allies and opponents. Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a fellow Republican, described the action as “petty and disappointing,” while other politicians urged Trump to resume negotiations rather than alienate Canada, a long‑standing partner.
Canada remains one of the United States’ top two trading partners, and in 2024 it was the leading destination for U.S. exports.
Nevertheless, the trade tensions have sparked widespread backlash in Canada, including boycotts of U.S. products and provincial bans on U.S. liquor.
Ford, a right‑wing populist, has become a vocal advocate for Canadian retaliatory measures. Since Trump began his second term in 2025, he has urged Canada to relinquish sovereignty and become a U.S. state, and has imposed multiple waves of tariffs on the country.
The “Lake Ontario” billboard represents Ford’s newest move in his ongoing dispute with Trump.
Earlier this week, Ford intensified his criticism of Trump after trade talks collapsed, prompting the United States to impose a 50 % tariff on $20 billion of Canadian goods.
“He can kiss my a‑ss as far as I’m concerned. We’ll go after him full steam,” Ford told a Toronto radio station on Monday.
Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, mocking Ford as “less charismatic, less intelligent, and overall unimpressive” compared with his late brother, former Toronto mayor Rob Ford.
“Someone should get these clowns to ‘fall in line,’ or the consequences for Canada will be far worse,” Trump added.
The Saturday billboard is not Ford’s first protest against Trump, and several of his previous actions have had international repercussions.
Last year, Ford’s government allocated $75 million to an anti‑tariff advertisement that featured former U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s voice and was broadcast in the United States.
“In the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer,” Reagan’s voice said in the message.
At the time, the United States and Canada were negotiating trade terms, but Trump cancelled the talks in protest over the advertisement. Some members of his administration likened the campaign to election interference, noting that the ads aired before the 2025 off‑year election season.
Ford eventually pulled the advertisement from broadcast in October, saying he had achieved his aim “to initiate a conversation” about “the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses.”
Since 2018, Ford has served as Ontario’s premier. The province is a hub of Canada’s automotive manufacturing sector, with factories tightly integrated with U.S. car makers across the border.
A prominent conservative and longtime Toronto politician, Ford had previously been compared to Trump, and his entry into provincial politics coincided with Trump’s first term as president.
Early on, some of Ford’s supporters embraced the slogan “Make Ontario Great Again,” a play on Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign phrase, which itself was popularized during Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign.
Ford, however, has rejected any comparison to the U.S. president, noting that he and his family have been involved in politics long before Trump.
