Ontario Premier Ford Leads Charge In Mocking Trump’s ‘Lake America’ Name Change

Aug 31, 2026 07:37 PM - 2 hours ago 2

Topline

Ontario Premier Doug Ford led Canada’s complaint against President Donald Trump’s determination to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America complete the weekend, done the usage of ample signage, insult and changing really charismatic websites show maps, escalating an ongoing individual feud pinch the president.

Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, gives a thumbs up aft a Canadian ceremony for the opening of Gordie Howe International span connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

Key Facts

Ford, who has not shied distant from publically clashing pinch Trump connected a big of issues, mocked the determination connected Saturday by unveiling a ample sign on the lake’s statement successful Grimbsy, Ontario, that read: “Lake Ontario. Now and Always.”

In a video showing disconnected the motion connected societal media, Ford said Trump's effort to rename the reservoir was “all because he doesn’t for illustration Ontario and Canada opinionated up for itself.”

Ford said the h2o was called Lake Ontario “long before” Trump and will proceed to beryllium called that, but the motion has been put up “just successful case” the president aliases anyone other “forgets.”

The Ontario premier doubled down successful his Sunday question and reply pinch ABC News to talk Trump’s latest tariffs and said Trump’s signing of an executive bid to rename Lake Ontario “was for illustration thing retired of Saturday Night Live.”

Ford added, “no 1 is going to telephone it” Lake America, noting it's been Lake Ontario for hundreds of years, labeling the contention “disappointing.”

What About The Google Maps Change?

Google Maps began displaying the name “Lake America” alternatively of “Lake Ontario” for users successful the U.S. complete the weekend. The tech elephantine noted this alteration aligns pinch its modular argumentation of relying connected the names of geographical features from charismatic authorities sources, specified arsenic the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). And successful keeping pinch its attack connected disputed names, the representation will show Lake Ontario successful Canada and show some names to users extracurricular the 2 countries.

What Has Ford Said About The Google Change?

After Google implemented the change, immoderate Canadian users noticed Lake America appeared connected various online maps, including Hydro One’s outage map. The institution acknowledged Lake Ontario was being “incorrectly labeled” and said the rumor originates from a “third-party mapping service,” apt a reference to Google. On Sunday night, Ford reposted a tweet from Ontario’s Minister for Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Stephen Crawford, which noted immoderate Ontario authorities agency websites are pulling representation information from Google’s service. Crawford added that, pursuing Google's caller changes, the Ontario authorities is “actively reviewing” its websites to spot whether the h2o assemblage is named Lake Ontario. While reposting the tweet, Ford noted: “Make nary mistake: Lake Ontario is and ever will beryllium Lake Ontario.”

Tangent

While Ford was the astir vocal successful taking connected Trump connected this matter, different nationalist figures besides mocked the sanction change. While performing a performance successful Toronto connected Saturday, dense metallic set Iron Maiden’s lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson told the crowd: “Hello, Canada. Oh my God. It’s been traumatic. We sewage here. We crossed the Lake of Ontario,” successful an evident reference to the sanction change. The quip drew a large cheer from the audience. Canadian stone set Blue Rodeo besides brought up the rumor during a concert, displaying a map of Lake Ontario arsenic a backdrop. During their capacity of the opus “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet,” the crowd joined the set to singing on to the statement “Out successful the mediate of Lake Ontario.” The set posted respective clips of the crowd singing on connected their Instagram stories and wrote: “Fans successful Toronto cognize what to telephone our lake.”