U.S. President Donald Trump suggested renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America" as his trade dispute with Canada escalated, drawing swift pushback from the United States' northern neighbor.
"He can blow out his hole as much as he wants to, but it’s never going to happen, because Canadians are strong,” said Patricia Wiseman, an Ontario resident, as she walked along the waterfront of Lake Erie.
It may be more complicated than that. Trump has wide latitude over how the U.S. government recognizes geographic places and landmarks. But he cannot force Canada or individual citizens on either side of the border to follow his preferred naming conventions. And his latest branding idea - reminiscent of his move to rechristen the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America” - highlights how much his rhetoric and trade policy have sundered the previously warm relationship between Washington and Ottawa.
"I believe the American people love us, and we love them,” Wiseman said. "They’re going through as much turmoil as we are. Hopefully, one day we can reunite.”
Trump introduced the idea of renaming the easternmost area of the Great Lakes hours before Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's scheduled announcement of reciprocal tariffs on U.S. imports into his country.
