Google Maps has begun showing Lake Ontario as “Lake America” to users in the United States, following an executive order signed by Donald Trump amid a worsening trade dispute with Canada.
The change applies only to the US version of the mapping service. Users in Canada will continue to see “Lake Ontario”, while those elsewhere, including Australia, will be shown both names.
Google said the update reflected the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which has formally recorded the lake as “Lake America” within the United States. The company said the change was being introduced in stages and followed its existing policy for geographical features with different names in different countries.
Lake America name change sparks Canadian backlash
Mr Trump signed the executive order on Thursday, August 27, directing the US Interior Secretary and the Board on Geographic Names to replace references to Lake Ontario in federal records and maps.
The order said the lake was an important American economic and strategic asset, citing its role in shipping, energy, industry and the wider Great Lakes system. It instructed officials to complete the formal renaming process within 30 days.
However, the order has no power to change the name used by Canadian authorities or compel Canada to adopt the American designation.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the move, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul said: “New York won’t be calling it that.” Vermont Governor Phil Scott described the decision as “petty and disappointing”.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded by unveiling a large bilingual sign on the Canadian shoreline near Grimsby, reading: “Lake Ontario. Now and Always” and “Lac Ontario. Aujourd’hui et pour toujours.”
The sign measures 24ft by 12ft and stands approximately 18ft above the ground. Mr Ford said the name would remain in use long after Mr Trump had left office.
“President Trump can call it whatever he wants, but I can tell you, the rest of the world will always call it Lake Ontario,” he said.
The dispute has unfolded against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Washington and Ottawa, including tariffs imposed on billions of dollars worth of goods and the collapse of recent trade negotiations.
Google previously made a similar location-based change after Mr Trump ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be referred to as the “Gulf of America” in the United States. In both cases, the company said its maps reflect official naming systems in the countries where they are being viewed.
The name Lake Ontario has Indigenous origins and predates both the founding of Canada and the independence of the United States, adding to criticism of the proposed change.
