Donald Trump became the target of several pointed jokes during TIFF opening night in Toronto. The remarks focused on his controversial push to rename Lake Ontario. Canadian festival figures made their position clear during the opening ceremony.
Donald Trump faces repeated jabs during TIFF opening night over his controversial ‘Lake America’ push
The Toronto International Film Festival opened Thursday with several digs at Trump. TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey, programmer Anita Lee, and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow addressed the controversy.
The remarks came before Sian Heder’s Being Heumann premierd at Roy Thomsan Hall. The film festival’s opening-night speakers referenced the lake bordering Toronto. Their comments drew laughter and sustained applause from the audience.
Bailey was the first to take aim at Trump’s renaming effort. He emphasized that the festival was taking place beside Lake Ontario. Programmer Anita Lee later followed Bailey with a similar reference. She also used the lake’s original name during her remarks.
Chow then delivered another pointed response to the U.S. government. She called the festivities a “moment of pure joy” before discussing the film. “Tonight’s film, Being Heumann, was filmed here in Toronto,” Chow said.
She continued by praising Judy Heumann’s disability rights campaign. “It shows us that when people come together and stay tenacious, they can move mountains,” Chow said. She then connected that message to the ongoing tensions with the United States.
“We have some experience with that,” Chow added during her remarks. She concluded, “our magnificent waterfront will always be Lake Ontario.”
The White House defended Trump’s position when contacted by Entertainment Weekly. A spokesperson said, “Canada has been a bad neighbor” over trade disagreements. The statement also defended Trump’s efforts to protect American industries and workers.
Trump’s executive order has already generated significant public pushback. Google and Apple changed the lake’s name on their U.S. platforms. Canadian users continue seeing “Lake Ontario,” while U.S. users see “Lake America.”
The Associated Press has rejected the renaming and continues using Lake Ontario. Trump previously attempted to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” Festival speakers used the event to deliver pointed criticism of the move.
