US President Donald Trump and Canadian leaders have traded fresh barbs over the renaming of Lake Ontario, turning the dispute into another flashpoint in the increasingly tense relationship between the two neighbouring countries.
The latest confrontation began after Trump ordered US federal agencies to refer to the lake as “Lake America”. In response, Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a giant billboard near Grimsby declaring: “Lake Ontario. Now and Always.”
Trump then responded on social media by sharing a video showing himself knocking down an image of the Lake Ontario sign and replacing it with one reading “Lake America”, while dancing to the Village People’s hit YMCA.
The name dispute comes against the backdrop of a wider trade conflict between Washington and Ottawa, including a 50% US tariff on Canadian steel and retaliatory measures imposed by Canada.
Trump signed the executive order on Thursday, directing US government agencies to use “Lake America” when referring to the body of water.
“We’re going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario effective immediately to Lake America,” Trump told reporters before signing the order.
Google Maps subsequently reflected the change for users in the United States, following its policy of reflecting geographical name changes found in official government sources. However, the company said Canadians would continue to see “Lake Ontario”, while users outside the US and Canada would see both names.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has rejected Trump’s move, pointing out that the name Ontario comes from an Indigenous Wendat word and has been associated with the lake for more than 400 years.
Ford was equally dismissive, saying the lake’s traditional name would outlast Trump’s presidency.
“Long after President Trump is gone, it will still be called Lake Ontario,” he said in a social media video.
Appearing on ABC News’ This Week, Ford compared the renaming order to something from Saturday Night Live, insisting that Canadians would not adopt the new name.
“No one’s going to call it Lake of America. It’s been Lake Ontario for hundreds of years. It’s going to continue being Lake Ontario,” he said.
Other Canadian politicians have also mocked the move. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew compared Trump’s latest campaign to an ageing rock band attempting to revive an old hit, referencing the president’s earlier push to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
Indigenous leaders have expressed deeper concern over the move. Wendat Nation Grand Chief Pierre Picard accused Trump of attempting to erase Indigenous history, culture and identity by replacing a name with centuries of Indigenous roots.
Meanwhile, Trump continued his attacks against Canada, posting online that Canada was “the worst” and saying he did not want Canadian products, while accusing the country of taking advantage of the United States for decades.
The lake dispute has become a highly visible symbol of the broader US-Canada confrontation, with the two countries remaining at odds over trade and economic policies.
Lake Ontario is one of North America’s five Great Lakes, alongside Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Covering about 7,340 square miles, it is the smallest of the five by surface area.
