Ford Defends $25,000 Lake Ontario Sign Amid Trade War
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
Ontario Premier Doug Ford argues a giant sign asserting the lake's identity provided millions in free advertising, while critics call for a strategic plan over publicity stunts.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is defending the expenditure of approximately $25,000 in public funds used to create a large blue sign reading “Lake Ontario now and always” in English and French, according to reporting from Global News Toronto.
The sign, unveiled Aug. 29, 2026, at the Fifty Point Conservation Area in Grimsby, Ont., by Premier Ford and Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff, served as a response to U.S. President Donald Trump. Global News Toronto reports that Trump had issued an executive order renaming the body of water “Lake America” during a trade war with Canada.
Speaking at an event on Thursday, Ford claimed the investment was justified by the international media attention the sign received in Canada and the United States. Ford suggested the move generated $25 million in free advertising, stating, “I’ll take that ROI all day on $25,000,” as reported by Global News Toronto.
However, the approach has drawn criticism from political opponents. Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser told Global News Toronto that the province needs a strategy and a plan to protect Ontarians during the trade war, rather than focusing on appearances on American television or public stunts, suggesting the Premier is simply giving President Trump what he wants.