In Canada: How Blue Rodeo’s ‘Hasn’t Hit Me Yet’ Became a ‘Rallying Call’ After Trump’s Lake Ontario Renaming Order
Blue Rodeo's 1993 song "Hasn't Hit Me Yet" has become an unexpected symbol of Canadian defiance after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" amid escalating trade tensions. During the Toronto band's annual hometown show at RBC Amphitheatre on 29 August, frontman Greg Keelor asked the 16,000-strong crowd to sing the song's "Lake Ontario" lyric with "full authority and ownership", turning a routine concert moment into a pointed political statement without the band needing to directly criticise Trump.
Keelor told Canadian Press he chose the song over an angrier verbal response, believing "the song would do the work" once the audience reached the key line, accompanied by a map highlighting "Lake Ontario" displayed on screens behind the band. Clips of the performance went viral, with Keelor saying the crowd's emotional reaction was unexpected and has given the song "a different meaning now". Other artists including JoJo and Iron Maiden also spoke out against the renaming during Toronto shows that weekend, while Lake Ontario's name remains unchanged on Canadian maps despite reportedly being altered to "Lake America" on Google Maps in the US.
- Trump's order renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" sparked Canadian musical backlash.
- Blue Rodeo's crowd chanted "Lake Ontario" lyric in defiant Toronto concert moment.
- JoJo and Iron Maiden also criticised the renaming during separate Toronto shows.
New here? Start with this
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes, shared by Canada and the United States. It borders the Canadian province of Ontario, including Toronto, and its name is used on maps and in everyday life on both sides of the border.
Blue Rodeo is a Canadian band formed in Toronto. Its song “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet”, released in 1993, includes a reference to Lake Ontario; at the time, it was a song rather than a political statement.
The lake’s name has become part of wider tensions between Canada and the United States over trade and national identity. Understanding that shared geography and the song’s Canadian connection helps explain why the lyric resonated with concertgoers.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The performance can be seen as a peaceful, culturally rooted way for Canadians to affirm their connection to Lake Ontario amid a politically charged renaming order. By inviting the crowd to sing a familiar lyric, Keelor made a pointed statement without personal attacks, giving people a shared, expressive response to a decision they may view as dismissive of Canadian identity.
The case against
A thoughtful critic might argue that turning a concert into a political statement risks making a shared cultural event feel partisan, especially for audience members who came for the music. They might also see the singalong as symbolic but unlikely to influence the naming dispute, while amplifying tensions that could be better addressed through diplomatic discussion.