Ontario Premier Opposes U.S. Executive Order to Rename Lake Ontario

Ontario Premier Doug Ford erected a bilingual sign at Hamilton's Fifty Point Conservation Area that reads “Lake Ontario – Now and Always” and “Lac Ontario – Aujourd'hui et pour toujours.” In a video posted to social media, Ford said the lake has long been called Lake Ontario and will retain that name despite President Trump’s recent executive order to rename it “Lake America.”

The order, announced amid ongoing trade tensions between Canada and the United States, also included a statement that the U.S. would reduce business with Ontario. The lake’s name originates from the Iroquoian word meaning “lake of shining waters.”

J. Conrad Seneca, president of the Seneca Nation, criticized the order, stating it violates a 225-year-old treaty and disrespects Indigenous peoples who originally named the lake. He said, “The President cannot assert ownership over our culture or erase it through irresponsible political action.”

Trade disputes have escalated, with the United States imposing 50 % tariffs on a range of Canadian goods, including automotive and steel imports, and Canada responding with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products. Ford has accused the U.S. administration of treating Canada harshly and emphasized the importance of the long-standing alliance between the two countries.