CBC Lite
   Sections

News • Canada • Toronto

Ontario premier unveils 'Lake Ontario' sign in Winona as tensions
with U.S. escalate

   CBC News | Posted: August 29, 2026 6:01 PM | Last Updated: 18
   hours ago

   Trade negotiations collapsed this month, with both countries
   claiming the other sought 11th-hour changes

   Media | Ford unveils Lake Ontario sign following Trump's
   renaming order

   Caption: Premier Doug Ford unveiled a Lake Ontario sign with
   the words 'Now and Always' at Fifty Point Conservation Area in
   Hamilton on Saturday, two days after U.S. President Donald
   Trump signed an executive order to rename the Great Lake 'Lake
   America.' Ford said he wants to send a message to Trump that
   Canadians are resilient and 'will never, ever back down from a
   bully.'
   Open full embed in new tab Loading external pages may require
   significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story
   pages.
   Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a Lake Ontario sign in
   Winona Saturday, after United States President Donald Trump
   purported to change the name to "Lake America" amid escalating
   tensions and a brewing trade war.
   It will remain Lake Ontario "now and forever," Ford told
   reporters Saturday in the small lakeside community on the
   outskirts of Hamilton.
   "President Trump can call it whatever he wants but I can tell
   you that the rest of the world will always call it Lake
   Ontario," he said. "We're resilient and we're strong
   Canadians."
   The sign, which reads "Lake Ontario Now and Always," comes as
   tensions between Canada and the U.S. have escalated since trade
   negotiations fell apart on Aug. 21. The two allies have accused
   each other of seeking 11th-hour changes.
   Prime Minister Mark Carney previously said the agreement became
   untenable. The federal government unveiled retaliatory
   measures, set to start on Sept. 8.
   Trump first threatened to rename Lake Ontario during an
   escalating war of words with Ford. The two exchanged insults,
   with the premier calling the president a bully, among other
   things, and Trump saying the premier was a "less charismatic,
   intelligent" version of his late brother, Rob Ford.

   Image | RAW FORD WINONA SATURDAY_frame_234640

   Caption: Speaking with reporters Saturday, Ford said it will be
   Lake Ontario "now and forever." (CBC)
   (BUTTON) Load image
   Open image in new tab
   On Thursday, the president signed an executive order to change
   the name to "Lake America".
   Sitting near a map with the name "Lake America" over the body
   of water, Trump said "entitled" Canada has been difficult to
   deal with and repeated claims the country was ripping off the
   U.S.
   "They want to be treated like a state, but they are not a
   state," Trump said. "The Canadian officials have treated us
   very badly."
   "They are nasty people," Trump added.
   In Canada, the move prompted incredulity by officials on social
   media.
   Carney said Canadians will call the body of water Lake Ontario
   "now and always," while Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said
   "we're into some real foolishness now."
   "It's Lake Ontario, buddy," Houston said.
   On Saturday, Ford said he's received numerous calls from
   governors who have told him they'll continue to call the body
   of water Lake Ontario.
   "We're always going to protect our sovereignty," he said.
   "We'll never ever back down from a bully."
     * Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America'

     * What we know about how the Canada-U.S. trade talks fell
       apart

   Ontario is the "engine of Canada," Ford added.
   "We're all united from coast to coast to coast," he said.
   "We'll do whatever it takes to protect the people of Ontario."
   Lake Ontario — one of the five Great Lakes — is located between
   Ontario and New York. The province of Ontario, founded in 1867,
   took its name from the lake.
   The lake's name comes from the Huron Indigenous people's word
   "oniatarí:io," which means "lake of shining waters."

More Stories Like This

   The related links below are generated automatically based on
   the story you’ve just read.

   Loading...
   CBC Lite is a low-bandwidth website. To see what's new, check
   out our release notes. For high quality images, media,
   comments, and other additional features visit the full version
   of this story.
   We and select advertising partners use trackers to collect some
   of your data in order to enhance your experience and to deliver
   personalized content and advertising. If you are not
   comfortable with the use of this information, please review
   your device and browser privacy settings before continuing your
   visit. Learn more about Online Tracking and Privacy Choices.
     * Corrections and Clarifications
     * Terms of Use
     * Reuse & Permission
     * Privacy Notice
     * Accessibility
     * Contact a Newsroom
     * Submit Feedback
     * Lite Help Centre
     * Jobs
     * RSS

   CBC Lite version: 1.9.0. © 2026 CBC/Radio-Canada. All rights
   reserved.