“Now and Always”: Doug Ford unveils Lake Ontario sign amid U.S. tariff war

HAMILTON — Premier Doug Ford unveiled a Lake Ontario sign at a park on the shores of the Great Lake on Saturday, two days after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to change its name to Lake America.

The words “Now and Always” feature below the lake’s name on the large blue sign at Fifty Point Conservation Area in Hamilton, Ont.

Ford says he wants to send a message to Trump that Canadians are resilient and strong and “we will never, ever back down from a bully.”

He says the lake will always be known as Lake Ontario in Canada and the rest of the world, no matter what Trump calls it.

Ford and Trump traded personal insults in interviews and social media posts over the past week after Canada-U.S. trade talks broke down and the U.S. imposed 50 per cent tariffs on about $28 billion of Canadian goods.

The federal government has responded with 15 to 50 per cent tariffs on hundreds of U.S. products to take effect on Sept. 8.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2026.

The Canadian Press