Ontario Premier Doug Ford has put up a billboard-sized sign along the shore of Lake Ontario in direct response to President Donald Trump's executive order renaming the body of water "Lake America."
Ford recorded a video of himself near Hamilton, Ontario, on Saturday where he revealed the baby-blue sign bearing the words "Lake Ontario" in large white letters. Beneath that, a subheading reads "Now and Always." The message is repeated in French, Canada's second official language, according to Al Jazeera.
Ford said the sign was erected to reaffirm the lake's name "in case President Trump — or anyone else — forgets."
"Long before President Trump, this lake was called Lake Ontario," Ford said in his social media video. "And long after President Trump is gone, it will still be called Lake Ontario."
The White House did not respond to Al Jazeera's request for comment.
Trump signed the executive order on Thursday. It changes only how the US federal government refers to the lake. The order drew pushback from multiple directions, including Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, who called the move "petty and disappointing." Several politicians urged Trump to return to the negotiating table rather than antagonise Canada.
The renaming came as the US and Canada remain locked in a trade dispute. Earlier this week, trade negotiations broke down, resulting in US tariffs of 50 percent on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Canada is ranked as one of the US's top two trading partners, and as of 2024, it is the largest destination for US exports.
Ford, a right-wing populist, has been a prominent voice for Canadian retaliation since Trump returned to office in 2025. The trade tensions have fuelled a popular backlash in Canada, including boycotts of US goods and bans in several provinces on US liquor.
Ford's language toward Trump has grown sharper as the dispute has escalated. During a Monday radio interview on a Toronto station, Ford spoke bluntly about the US president.
"He can kiss my a** as far as I'm concerned. We're going to go at him full steam," Ford said.
Trump responded on his Truth Social platform by mocking Ford as "less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpres" — the post was cut off at that point in the available text.
Canada has the largest proven oil reserves outside Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, and the economic stakes of the dispute remain significant for both countries. The billboard near Hamilton is Ford's latest public move in a feud that has grown steadily since Trump first took office for his second term.
