Ontario taxpayers reportedly shelled out $25,000 for the giant “Lake Ontario now and always” sign Premier Doug Ford unveiled last weekend in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempt to rename the Great Lake “Lake America.”
The Premier’s Office confirmed the cost of printing and erecting the oversized bilingual sign to several news outlets. The sign was installed at Fifty Point Conservation Area in Winona, near Hamilton.
The sign reads “Lake Ontario — Now and Always” in English and “Lac Ontario — Aujourd’hui et pour toujours” in French.
Ford unveiled the sign on Aug. 29, two days after Trump signed an executive order directing U.S. federal agencies to use the name “Lake America” for Lake Ontario in American government records.
“I’m here on the shores of beautiful Lake Ontario, a crown jewel of our province and our country,” Ford says in a video shared to social media.
“You may have heard that President Trump is trying to rename this lake, all because he doesn’t like Ontario and Canada standing up for ourselves,” he continued. But let’s be serious. Long before President Trump, this lake was called Lake Ontario, and long after President Trump is gone, it will still be called Lake Ontario.”
“But just in case President Trump or anyone else forgets, we’ve set up this sign to remind them it’s Lake Ontario now and forever.”
Lake Ontario sign: Ontarians question $25,000 price tag.
The $25,000 price tag reported by multiple outlets has people online asking whether provincial money should have been spent on what critics describe as a symbolic response to Trump.
“What a waste of money on something that is just a political circus that helps no one. Taxes are meant to help the people in this province, but we keep seeing it used to do the opposite,” one X user shared.
“Money should’ve been put to better use. Our hospital is always short of wheelchairs for people coming in who need one. But does he care about helping out with healthcare?” another commented.
“$25k for a Ford photo opportunity. It’s all about performance and image with the Premier and his cabinet. Decision-making is constantly flawed.”
“A year’s worth of pension for our most vulnerable Canadians, low-income seniors and disabled people.”
While some support the sentiment, but not the price tag.
“Ugh, I love the song, but the $25k price tag is irresponsible,” another X user commented.
Meanwhile, Interim Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser criticized Ford’s approach to the escalating Canada-U.S. dispute, arguing that the premier’s public sparring with Trump risks distracting from the more serious economic issues facing the province.
“I just think we’re giving President Trump what he wants,” Fraser told Global News. “These are serious times; it’s a trade war. You need a plan, you need a strategy.”
The sign has nevertheless attracted attention, becoming one of the more visible symbols of Canadian opposition to Trump’s renaming effort. Trump’s executive order has no authority over Canada’s official geographic names; therefore, Lake Ontario remains the lake’s official name in Canada.
The dispute comes amid worsening trade tensions between Canada and the United States. Trump has repeatedly criticized Canada and Ontario as negotiations over tariffs and trade have deteriorated, while Ford has engaged in a series of public clashes with the American president in recent weeks.
The $25,000 expenditure also comes as the Ford government faces criticism over spending priorities and its approach to government communications and advertising.
Online, many people also questioned who printed the sign, and if Deco Labels, the Ford family’s printing company, received the contract for the project.
Now Toronto reached out to Premier Ford’s office for clarity on both the company behind the sign and the overall price tag, but did not hear back in time for publication.
