Daniel Wolfram
The Premier of Ontario just lit another match to further stoke the fire in the ongoing feud between two storied allies and neighbours.
Since Canada pulled out of a deal with the United States of America at the last minute due to a dispute regarding tariffs, a full-on trade war has broken out.
While Canada has promised retaliation financially, American politicians have used a lot of airtime threatening their Canadian neighbours and even renamed a lake.
It seems like a premier politician in Canadian politics is returning the American jabs with a brand-new sign.
A giant sign to remind America
Ontario Premier Doug Ford travelled to Winona on Saturday to send a message to the Trump administration. Standing near Stoney Creek, he unveiled a giant blue sign declaring the lake’s official name.
The move comes right after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last Thursday renaming the body of water “Lake America.”
Ford also made a video for social media to accompany the newly erected sign while sending a message to Donald Trump.
“I’m here on the shores of beautiful Lake Ontario, a crown jewel of our province and our country,” Ford said in the video. “You may have heard that President Trump is trying to rename this lake, all because he doesn’t like Ontario and Canada standing up for ourselves.”
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A native name
The name Ontario dates back to before Canada and America became independent countries.
Canada officially established the province of Ontario when Canada became a united federation on July 1, 1867, naming it after the lake. Ford reminded the Canadian people of that long heritage.
“Long after President Trump is gone, it will still be called Lake Ontario,” Ford stated. “But just in case President Trump or anyone else forgets, we’ve set up this sign to remind them it’s Lake Ontario now and forever.”
Cracks in the alliance between neighbours
The sign follows a collapse in trade negotiations. Prime Minister Mark Carney halted talks with the United States on Aug. 21 after the Trump administration pushed last-minute demands regarding trade independence and cultural policy.
Tensions quickly turned personal. During a live radio show on Monday, Ford told the American president to “kiss his ass” over tariff threats.
Trump responded by bringing up Ford’s late brother, former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, and comparing the two. The Premier shot back by calling Trump “a dictator.”
“He’s the type of guy in school that would take your lunch money one day, take your toque off your head the next day and then steal your running shoes,” Ford said. “I’m not going to take any advice from a guy that’s the king of bankruptcies.”
