Lake Ontario merchandise turns Trump order into fundraiser to protect the lake
A Canadian municipal councillor is selling merchandise featuring the name 'Lake America'—a term used by Donald Trump—to raise funds for Lake Ontario conservation. The proceeds support the non-profit Swim Drink Fish in their environmental restoration efforts.
Why it matters
It illustrates how political rhetoric can be repurposed for grassroots environmental activism and community engagement.
A lighthearted quip sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s labelling of Lake Ontario as “Lake America” has turned into a fundraiser aimed at protecting the lake itself.
Lloyd Rang, who lives in the municipality of Clarington, Ont., a short walk from Lake Ontario, describes it as peaceful and an important part of his community.
So when Trump first floated a new name for the lake amid trade tensions with Canada, Rang had a response.
“I thought about it, ‘Aw come on, like really? This again?’” he said in an interview Global News.
A hydronym is the proper name for any body water. Prime Minister Mark Carney brought the term into the national conversation in an Aug. 27 statement responding to Trump’s executive order seeking to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America.”
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