Ontario premier answers Trump’s ‘Lake America’ with giant ‘Lake Ontario’ sign

Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded to President Donald Trump's "Lake America" decree with a colossal sign on the Canadian shoreline, declaring "Lake Ontario. Now and Always" on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. The 24-by-12-foot sign, erected near Grimsby, Ontario, stands on 6-foot legs, reaching about 18 feet above the ground. The message is displayed in both English and French.

Ford's gesture came after months of escalating tensions between the two nations, including tariffs, threats of Canada becoming the 51st state of the U.S., and personal attacks on Canadian leaders. Canadians' reaction to Trump's executive order was a mix of defiance and mockery. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew likened Trump to an aging rock band trying to revive an old hit, suggesting that the president's efforts to rename the lake were a sign of his fading relevance.

Canadian historian Robert Bothwell took a more scathing view, questioning how the "greatest country on earth" could take Trump seriously.