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Searches for Lake Ontario shirts, hats and other items have reached ‘breakout’ status on Google, a term that signifies an explosion of interest.Photo Illustration by the Globe and Mail. Sources: supplied
Since U.S. President Donald Trump moved to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America, there has been a surge in interest in Lake Ontario-themed merchandise from shoppers on both sides of the border.
Google searches for Lake Ontario shirts in Canada peaked around Aug. 30, three days after Mr. Trump signed the executive order to rename the body of water, and audiences looking for Lake Ontario hats, tees and other items have reached what the search engine labels as “breakout” status – a phrase meaning interest in the search term has grown by a margin of more than 5,000 per cent compared to a previous period, such as the prior week.
Searches for Lake Ontario T-shirts are also at breakout level in the United States, with peaks occurring on Aug. 27 and 30.
Clothing retailers and e-commerce sites are taking notice. Province of Canada, a Toronto-based company offering a variety of Canadian-themed selections (including an exclusive Heated Rivalry sweater), released a Lake Ontario quarter-zip sweater on Friday and saw strong interest from consumers.
“Customers are specifically looking for made-in-Canada products,” said Allison Piccininni, Province of Canada’s product and operations manager, in an interview with The Globe and Mail.
Like all of the company’s merchandise, the item is manufactured in Canada. It’s available for pre-order at $128, and Ms. Piccininni said they’ve already sold hundreds, with about 75 per cent of orders coming from Ontario, and the next-highest from British Columbia. The company will donate 15 per cent of each sale to Indigenous charity Indspire.
The light grey sweater, which has the words “Lake Ontario” printed in blue text on the front, has a cheeky online description that hints at the ongoing strife between Canada and the U.S.: “Some names are already pretty good.”
“We can see Lake Ontario from our office, so it feels very relevant. It’s not just a trend we’re trying to jump on,” Ms. Piccininni said.
While the retailer currently isn’t shipping to the U.S. (a decision they made in July to mitigate tariff-related cross-border shipping issues), Ms. Piccininni said they’ve fielded a number of inquiries from shoppers in America, who are either expats or Canadian supporters.
In Calgary, Connor Curran, co-owner of the Canadian-made custom apparel brand Local Laundry, said he’s already sold about 100 of his company’s Lake Ontario T-shirts. “Alberta and Ontario are where most of the sales are coming from, and then B.C. and Manitoba,” Mr. Curran said in an interview with The Globe. “Albertans are proud of the name Lake Ontario, and we’re proud Canadians as well.”
The T-shirt – a light blue offering with the words “Lake Ontario Canada” printed in white text on the front – launched on Local Laundry’s website Friday and is available for pre-sale for $55. “Lake Ontario doesn’t need a rebrand,” reads the description.
The item, which is entirely made in Canada, is an opportunity for the company to support the Canadian economy, Mr. Curran said. “Our milling facility is in Toronto, our dyeing is done in Ajax, our cutting and sewing is done in Scarborough and then the items are shipped to Calgary where we decorate and print them.”
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Graphic design company Molly Illustration, from Buffalo, N.Y., created the design for these Lake Ontario stickers, which will soon be restocked at Pretty Apothecary in Rochester, N.Y.Mike Pretty/Supplied
In the United States, particularly in areas along the shores of Lake Ontario such as Rochester, N.Y., interest in Lake Ontario-branded merch is also high. A post in a Rochester subreddit titled “Where to get Lake Ontario Merchandise?” received nearly 400 interactions and more than 100 comments, with users mostly listing Rochester-based businesses that supply the requested items.
One user pointed to Pretty Apothecary, a Rochester-based gift shop and home goods store that sells Lake Ontario caps, stickers, candles, patches and more. The store’s owner, Mike Pretty, said by Saturday morning they were completely sold out of their Lake Ontario inventory. “There’s been a big surge in interest and there’s a lot of pride surrounding the lake,” he told The Globe in an interview.
Mr. Pretty said the lake-themed merchandise was always decently popular with customers, but now eager buyers are entering the shop asking: “What do you have that’s Lake Ontario?”
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This green corduroy hat is one of two new offerings to be sold at Pretty Apothecary in Rochester, N.Y., where demand for Lake Ontario merchandise is high.Mike Pretty/Supplied
Given the surge in interest, Mr. Pretty said he’s already filled about 50 pre-orders, and he’s going to be restocking his collection of themed patches, stickers, candles and caps. He’s also expanded his hat offerings from one design to three to meet demand. Mr. Pretty said the restocked merchandise should hit shelves within the next few weeks, and that the patches will be available again in early October.
Lake Ontario Press, a Rochester-based screen-printing shop run by Matt Saxon, also saw an influx of customers looking to support the Lake Ontario cause. He said interested buyers have been contacting him non-stop, and that on Saturday, the shop printed some 300 Lake Ontario-themed items for patrons.
“I had customers waiting an hour out the door and we ended up staying open an hour later just to finish up,” the business owner said.