Well, it seems that another bold move has been made by President Trump, and it’s directed towards our neighbors to the north. In a fashion that’s typical of his “art of the deal” style, he’s decided to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America. It’s a part of a broader effort to renegotiate America’s longstanding trade relationship with Canada. For a man who loves making headlines, what could be more headline-grabbing than taking a Sharpie to a map and switching up one of the Great Lakes’ names?
President Trump argues that Canada has had it too good for too long. The U.S. has been footing the bill for national defense and getting the short end of the trade stick in return. According to the president, the U.S. loses $60 billion a year dealing with Canada. To put that in perspective, that’s enough money to build a wall across the Canadian border, but let’s not give anyone any ideas! From his perspective, the time has come to change these dynamics, perhaps one lake at a time.
The name change is meant to highlight the president’s dissatisfaction. It is crafty, albeit audacious, and sends a clear message. Lake America now sits prominently on the administration’s new maps, serving as a symbol of reasserted American dominance. Of course, Canada, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, isn’t taking this quietly. They’ve turned to social media, pointing out that the lake’s original name has beautiful indigenous roots. But President Trump is more focused on dollars and cents rather than poetic etymology.
Amidst all of this, an alleged spats about French language streaming content have surfaced in some media reports. However, the U.S. Commerce Secretary quickly dismissed the notion. No one should be surprised that this administration likely has bigger fish to fry than worrying about the language used on Canadian streaming platforms. The words “French” and “Quebecois” are certainly not top of the priority list for a president more concerned with trade balances and tweets.
As the world waits to see if Ontario, California, might also get a new name, the back-and-forth with Canada continues. Theatrics aside, the renaming of Lake Ontario is very unlikely to dampen the love many Americans feel for their Canadian neighbors. Yet, in true Trump fashion, it does succeed in drawing attention to an issue he sees as critical while adding a touch of drama that keeps everyone watching his next move.
