Article content
Ontario Premier Doug Ford spent $25,000 on a new Lake Ontario sign. And while there are many reasons to be angry with the Trump administration, “there are a lot cheaper ways to send a message to the president,” Noah Jarvis, Ontario director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), told National Post.
Sign In or Create an Account
or View more offersArticle content
“The president himself does it all the time with his tweets and his posts on Truth Social,” Jarvis added.
Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.Article content
Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
The sign, which reads “Lake Ontario, now and always” in both English and French, was unveiled in Winona, Ont. — one of the areas covered by the Hamilton East—Stoney Creek byelection taking place on Thursday.
Article contentArticle content
It was erected just days after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America” in U.S. government records and maps, which has also since been adopted by both Google and Apple Maps for users in the U.S.
Article content
Just this past weekend, Trump shared several posts criticizing Canada, including claiming that the U.S. loses $60 billion a year to Canada, that Canada is “ripping off” the U.S. and suggesting that all Canadian companies doing business with America should move to the U.S.
Article content
He also shared a screenshot of the new “Lake America” name on Google Maps and an AI video of himself replacing a “Welcome to Lake Ontario” sign with one that reads “Welcome to Lake America” underneath a U.S. flag.
Article contentArticle content
Meanwhile, voters in the area where Ford’s $25,000 sign was erected have started heading to the polls to elect a new MPP, after Progressive Conservative Neil Lumsden retired on Aug. 4. It’s one of three provincial byelections held on the same day, with the others in the Toronto ridings of Scarborough Southwest and York—Simcoe. They come after the Liberals won three byelections that took place on Monday.
Article content
Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
When asked if the new Lake Ontario sign might be a strategic move by Ford ahead of the vote, Jarvis said he couldn’t comment on the motivation, but that “when public funds are being used for advertising, the government in power needs to make sure that it is not being used for political reasons.”
Article contentRead More
- Doug Ford erects sign to remind Donald Trump ‘it’s Lake Ontario now and forever’
- Lake Ontario renamed ‘Lake America’ for U.S. users of Apple Maps
- Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
It’s an issue the Canadian Taxpayers Federation has previously commented on, after the Ontario government spent a record $103.5 million on advertising in 2023-24. Federal director Franco Terrazzano said at the time that “the rules need to change because politicians shouldn’t be allowed to spend taxpayer money on ads to promote themselves.”
Article content
National Post has reached out to the PC Party of Ontario for comment.
Article content
The sign’s price tag was first reported by Global News on Tuesday and later confirmed in an email from the premier’s office Wednesday morning to CTV News.
Article content
It’s Lake Ontario, now and always. pic.twitter.com/KNahtPAMeJ
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) August 29, 2026