Ontario spent $25,000 on the new “Lake Ontario, Now and Always” sign unveiled by Premier Doug Ford over the weekend, a spokesperson from his office says.
The price tag, first reported by Global News, was confirmed to CTV News in an email from the premier’s office Wednesday morning.
Its arrival in Winona, Ont., came days after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing his administration to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in U.S. government records and maps.
Ford unveiled the sign Saturday, using it to push back against Trump’s decision and ongoing rhetoric as Canada-U.S. trade tensions continue to escalate.
“Just in case President Trump or anyone forgets, we’ve set up a sign to remind them it’s Lake Ontario Now and forever,” he said in a video shared to social media.
‘We’ll never ever back down’
The bilingual sign reads “Lake Ontario, Now and Always” as Ford says the province will never back down from Washington’s threats.
The move notably follows Trump’s previous push to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” in U.S. government use.
“We’re resilient, and we’re strong Canadians,” Ford previously said. “We’re always going to protect our sovereignty, always, and we’ll never ever back down from a bully ever.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney has rejected the Lake Ontario name change, pointing to the lake’s longstanding history and the Wendat origins of the name.
The premier has also said he supports Ottawa in its efforts to reach a new trade agreement with Washington, while arguing that “no deal is better than a bad deal.”
Where mapping services stand
The $25,000 sign comes as Trump’s name change triggered mix responses from several popular mapping services.
Google Maps displays “Lake America” to users in the United States, while Canadian users continue to see Lake Ontario. Earlier this week, Apple also changed the name on the web version of its U.S. maps after Trump contacted that company directly.
MapQuest, meanwhile, has consistently refused to make the change.
The 30-year-old mapping service said last week, “We’re not changing it.” Its decision has notably since driven a surge in popularity, where it now ranks No. 1 in Canada top free apps.
For Ford, the message remains unchanged.
“President Trump can call it whatever, but I can tell you the rest of the world will always call it Lake Ontario.”
