Canadian companies are turning Donald Trump’s decision to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” into an opportunity to promote Canadian-made products and push back against the U.S. president’s latest jab. The move comes as tensions between Canada and the United States continue to escalate amid a back-and-forth trade war. Speaking to CP24 Friday, Liam Mooney, co-founder and CEO of Canadian clothing company Jackpine, explained his company moved quickly to double down and produce a hat featuring the words “Lake Ontario.” “We’re really proud to be bringing people together around such a frustrating moment for Canadians,” he said, adding that the company was able to tap the Made-in-Canada supply chain it built around its previous viral “Canada Is Not For Sale” merchandise. The earlier design gained widespread attention after Ontario Premier Doug Ford famously wore the merchandise himself. To this day, it remains his profile photo across social media platforms. Mooney said the latest merchandise is intended to highlight Canadian manufacturing rather than simply capitalize on the political dispute. “This is our lake. It’s Lake Ontario. It’s not going to change,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is make these moments into something and put a spotlight on Canadian know-how, Canadian ingenuity.” ‘Building this country strong’ Jackpine’s supply chain includes knitting mills and other partners in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver. Another Canadian clothing company, Province of Canada, has also launched Lake Ontario merchandise, including a quarter-zip described as a “nod to the Great Lake we grew up on and know best.” They say they will be donating 15 per cent of each order to Indspire, an Indigenous charity that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. For Mooney, the merchandise is ultimately about using the moment to support Canadian businesses. “At the end of the day, we are building this country strong. We’re doing this together,” he said. “We’re putting companies and materials together from our local economies to make these things happen.” He said the company hopes people wearing the merchandise see it as a symbol of solidarity. “Our whole mission as a company is to put a spotlight on Made in Canada to show that our factories, our workers, our families, our people, that we know how to do this,” he said. “Canada can and will find a way.”
