Entertainment

Bryan Adams Criticizes Trump’s Lake Ontario Renaming in New Song

By Leyland Cecco

Canadian singer‑songwriter Bryan Adams released a new track titled "Lake Ontario" that targets U.S. President Donald Trump for his August executive order directing federal agencies to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America." The move echoes Trump’s earlier, widely mocked decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and has intensified a feud that has strained the longstanding Canada‑U.S. alliance. In the song, Adams accuses Trump of "breaking the peace" between residents on the lake’s shores and points out that the province of Ontario is named after the lake, not the reverse. He references the Iroquois name for the lake, describing it as a First Nations name that predates any executive order. Adams also suggests that Trump’s renaming stunt was a distraction from other political issues, including the war in Iran and renewed scrutiny of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The track is part of a broader project Adams described as a “love letter” to Canada, which began after a film company invited him to write about the Maritime provinces. The project has evolved into the upcoming album "How’s It Goin’". Adams noted that the first public performance of the song was in the United States, where it received a standing ovation each night. He said the response made him feel that the tide might be turning. The album also includes a song titled "51st State," released on July 1, Canada Day, as another repudiation of Trump’s attempts to annex Canada.