Doug Ford claps back amid Donald Trump’s executive order declaring Lake Ontario as “Lake America” by putting up a giant billboard. (Courtesy: @fordnationdougford)
Canadians are feeling mixed emotions regarding Premier Doug Ford’s newest investment, a massive Lake Ontario billboard put up this weekend, east of Hamilton which used $25,000 of taxpayer money.
A few days after United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order to declare the lake as “Lake America”, Doug Ford slammed back by getting a sign that reads “Lake Ontario Now and Always”.
Some local residents are finding it absurd that Doug Ford spent that much money on the massive sign, others are recognizing it as a symbolic and patriotic response.
Daisy M. expressed to The Brandon Gonez Show that Donald Trump’s efforts to rename the lake was a foolish move to prove a random point and shares the importance of a Canadian political leader defending the country.
“I think it was stupid, and I’m glad that Doug Ford is like, standing up for Canada, kind of in a way, because I don’t know, Trump’s always just got something to say about Canada,” she said.
Others are voicing that the $25,000 could have gone to a number of significant issues that are being seen around the country.
Norah S. is from Calgary visiting Toronto, and she shared that although Ford’s efforts to take a stand for Ontario was important, the money used for the sign could have gone to the homelessness issue around the country.
“I’d say that it should go to more good homeless shelters. There’s a lot of drug use, and the police aren’t really doing all that much about it from my perspective,” she said Norah S. “So I think that that money could go to more support towards those people.”
She also candidly shared a personal story of her family member who has been directly affected by this issue.
“My grandma’s suffering with drug addiction, and she fell victim to the system. So I think that the government should be responsible for helping her out because she’s unable to work,” Nora S. shared.
Toronto local Abhishek Srivastava, also thinks that the sign is a total waste of taxpayers’ hard-earned money.
“It could be utilized for healthcare and education of people because we still see a lot of homeless people around suffering from various health factors, and that money can be pretty much utilized for that as well,” he told The Brandon Gonez Show.
He also expressed that he believes the Lake Ontario sign won’t make any significant change or have an effect on the recent U.S. trade war.
“I don’t think a signboard will deter somebody like Trump from putting on the tariffs or anything around it. Instead, a better talk or maybe a reinforcement from our side could help to maybe help him rethink over whatever decisions he’s making,” said Shrivastav.
Lake Ontario got its name over 400 years ago from the Indigenous Huron-Wyandot word Ontari’io, which means “beautiful water”.
