Blue Rodeo’s Greg Keelor says ‘Lake Ontario’ lyric now an anti-Trump rallying cry

During a recent concert at Toronto's RBC Amphitheatre, Blue Rodeo frontman Greg Keelor utilized a line from their 1993 hit, "Hasn't Hit Me Yet," to create an anti-Trump rallying cry. The lyric, "Out in the middle of Lake Ontario," has now taken on a new meaning as U.S. President Donald Trump has attempted to rename the Great Lake "Lake America" in retaliation for Canada's proposed changes to trade agreements.

Keelor, known for his evocative lyrics, chose not to directly criticize Trump during the performance, instead opting to let the power of the song and the audience's response do the work. As the crowd sang the line together, a map of Lake Ontario appeared on the screens behind the band, amplifying the emotional impact. Keelor expressed surprise at the audience's powerful reaction to the line, describing it as "a wave of emotion" that carried a new significance.

He believes Trump's renaming effort is an insult and emblematic of his ignorance and idiocy, emphasizing that the lake's history predates the countries and borders surrounding it. For Keelor, the controversy surrounding the name change has brought Canadians together in a moment of defiance against the American president. Blue Rodeo has largely stopped touring in the U.S. since the incident, but Keelor sees the current political climate as an opportunity for the band to engage in smaller, more spontaneous acts of protest.