By Fatma Younis
Canadian rocker Bryan Adams has released a new song criticizing US President Donald Trump's executive order to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America." The track, titled "Lake Ontario," appears on Adams' upcoming album "How's It Goin'" and emphasizes the lake's Indigenous name meaning "lake of shining waters," contrasting it with Trump's directive.
Trump's order escalates tensions with Canada
Trump signed the renaming order in August, directing US federal agencies to adopt the new name. The move echoed his earlier decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" and further strained the longstanding US-Canada alliance. Adams' lyrics suggest the naming stunt was intended to deflect from other political problems, including the war in Iran and scrutiny of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Album frames political commentary as 'love letter' to Canada
The album also includes "51st State," released on Canada Day, which rejects Trump's annexation rhetoric with lines about a "wall of maple." Adams described the project as a broader "love letter" to Canada that began with an invitation to write about the Maritime provinces and expanded into a full album. He said the first public performance in the US received standing ovations nightly, signaling a possible shift in public sentiment.
