<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America” during ongoing trade tensions between the two countries. Carney highlighted the Indigenous origin of the lake's name, which is derived from the Wendat word Ontari’io, meaning ‘the lake is beautiful, the lake is big.’</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Carney stated, “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.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump signed the order changing the name of the lake, which is located between New York and the Canadian province of Ontario. However, the decree is binding only for the U.S. government and does not affect foreign governments, international bodies, or private companies. This dispute is part of the broader tensions between the U.S. and Canada, particularly regarding tariffs.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Carney remarked, “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.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">On the same day, Canada and the United States announced the collapse of trade talks after negotiators failed to reach an agreement, leading to the implementation of Trump’s 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. In response, Carney announced that Canada would impose “dollar-for-dollar” retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, making Canada the only country besides China to do so.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne announced the retaliatory tariffs, effective September 8, describing them as a “proportionate, targeted, and strategic” response. Trump had previously mentioned the idea of changing the lake’s name on Truth Social before signing the executive order.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump stated, “Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade. Very sadly, even the military. You know, we defend Canada for nothing. We don’t get anything. They don’t pay us to defend Canada, but we defend Canada, and they understand that.”</p>