Blue Rodeo fans chant original lake name during Toronto concert amid U.S. naming dispute
During a concert at Toronto's RBC Amphitheatre, Blue Rodeo encouraged the audience to sing "Lake Ontario," countering recent U.S. attempts to rename the lake, while Canadian officials reiterated the historic name.
Blue Rodeo performed at Toronto’s RBC Amphitheatre on Saturday, prompting the audience to chant the name "Lake Ontario" during the band’s 1993 song "Hasn’t Hit Me Yet." Lead singer Greg Keelor highlighted the lake behind the venue and invited fans to sing with "full authority and ownership," noting the name’s recent controversy. The crowd responded with cheers, and the venue’s screens displayed a map labeling the body of water as Lake Ontario, despite a recent change on some U.S. mapping services.
After the performance, Keelor thanked the audience, and guitarist Jim Cuddy made a brief comment. The band shared fan-recorded videos of the sing-along on social media.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford displayed a sign affirming the lake’s name, and Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on X that the name predates both Canadian Confederation and the United States’ Declaration of Independence. The incident follows President Donald Trump’s posting of an AI-generated video on his Truth Social platform that altered a "Welcome to Lake Ontario" sign to read "Welcome to Lake America" and included a musical backdrop.
The Daily Beast reached out to representatives for Blue Rodeo and the White House for comment.