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Ontario Premier responds to U.S. renaming of Lake Ontario

What happened

Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a billboard near Grimsby, Ontario, that reads "Lake Ontario. Now and Always."

During the unveiling, Ford wore a Team Canada soccer jersey and characterized the U.S. renaming of the lake as resembling an "SNL" skit.

Why it matters

The billboard serves as a public rebuttal to a recent executive order from President Trump that renamed Lake Ontario to "Lake America," a change that has also been reflected on Google Maps.

The renaming has drawn opposition from the Seneca Nation, which has formally called for the decision to be reversed.

Context

Premier Ford noted that the body of water has been known as Lake Ontario for hundreds of years.

The dispute occurs against the backdrop of an ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States.

Sources