Vancouver business says social media account vanished after Lake Ontario joke

A Vancouver strip club, Penthouse Nightclub, lost one of its social media accounts after responding to President Donald Trump's recent executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America. The order was Trump's latest attempt to lash out against Canada following the collapse of trade talks. The marquee above the nightclub's entrance now displays the message, "CANT HANDLE A POOL BUT WANTS OUR LAKE?" in reference to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool scandal.

Weeks after a $14 million renovation, the Washington, D.C. landmark became overrun with green algae and peeling paint, leading Trump to claim vandalism was responsible and announcing several arrests. However, the U.S. Department of Justice later debunked these claims, stating the damage was caused by a contractor's rushed and inadequate repair job.

Penthouse Nightclub owner Danny Filippone admitted that the club's Instagram account was disabled shortly after the sign appeared on Friday evening and was posted to the club's social media platforms. He mentioned that the sign was one of their first political jabs and that the club's patrons found it amusing. However, someone on the other side of the border did not appreciate the humor.

Kelowna entrepreneur Sean McHaffie, founder of the pro-Canada T-shirt store, "It's Lake Ontario," quickly launched a Canadian humor response after hearing about the incident. Within 24 hours, his website featured a classic Lake Ontario apparel collection. McHaffie urged Canadians to rally around their Canadian identity during this time.

As Penthouse Nightclub attempts to recover its missing Instagram account, Filippone remains firm that the sign is not being removed. He also recalled that a previous sign, "Forever neighbours, never neighbors," was deemed hate speech on X and took time to restore the account. Prior to Trump's executive order claiming the U.S. lays claim to most of the "volume" of Lake Ontario, the nightclub had been cautious with its one-liners.