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Demand spiked after Ford wore a “Canada is not for sale” hat to a Canadian political conference. Photo by Bryan PassifiumeMere hours before President Donald Trump signed an order to change Lake Ontario’s name on US maps, a husband-and-wife team in Canada’s capital city began marketing a blue hat with its name.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorIf retail is detail, the timing for Liam Mooney and Emma Cochrane was nearly perfect. Their firm, Ottawa-based Jackpine, took about 100 orders for “Lake Ontario” caps shortly after launching the product online in response to Trump’s threats to rename the body of water “Lake America.” U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on Aug. 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. Photo by Andrew Harnik /Getty ImagesJackpine is preparing to sell thousands more — expecting a sharp public reaction now that Trump has signed a directive to rename the Great Lake that separates Ontario and New York.Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again“Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade,” Trump told reporters when asked what message he was sending to the US’s northern neighbor. “They want to be treated like they’re a state, and so we just can’t do that anymore.”Trump’s idea to rename the lake was part of a public feud with Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Each leader insulted the other in media appearances and on social media this week after trade talks between the US and Canada collapsed.Mooney called the lake renaming “absurd,” but also saw the more serious implications. “It’s this sort of annexation rhetoric made real,” he said. “There’s a realpolitik to this thing.”Jackpine will ship the first Lake Ontario hats within two weeks to buyers in both countries, including people in upstate New York, Illinois and border communities.The name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontari’io, which, appropriately, means “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big”.The name is more than 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.…— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) August 27, 2026Their online apparel store became a sensation in Canada after Trump won the 2024 election and began musing about turning the northern country into the 51st state. Jackpine designed “Canada is not for sale” hats, which imitate the look of Make America Great Again headgear, except on a blue background.Demand spiked after Ford wore a “Canada is not for sale” hat to a Canadian political conference. The company sold 50,000 of them, according to Mooney.The name Lake Ontario is more than 400 years old, “predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a post on X. “We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms. Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always.”“It’s Lake Ontario to Canadians and the rest of the world. Now and forever,” Doug Ford said.Lake Ontario is and will always be Lake Ontario, and no executive order will change that. It doesn't belong to President Donald Trump to rename on a whim.Our two countries have real trade issues that impact our people. Instead of responding to stunts and distractions, Canadians…— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) August 27, 2026The Lake Ontario caps, which include a biodegradable brim that Mooney said is safe for aquatic life, are being made in Sherbrooke, Quebec, and finished in Ottawa.Polling shows Canadians are largely united behind Carney’s tough approach to negotiations with the US. Mooney said early orders suggest a cross-country reaction to renaming the lake, as he’s already sold Lake Ontario hats to customers in rural Alberta and Manitoba — thousands of miles away.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. 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