Trump signs executive order renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" amid U.S.-Canada trade dispute
President Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. federal government to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America," citing frustrations over trade negotiations with Canada. The order came as the U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on a broad range of Canadian goods and trade talks between the two countries collapsed. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford both rejected the rename, stating the lake would always be called Lake Ontario.
Two sources · Thin corroboration
President Trump signed an executive order Thursday renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America," directing Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to update the Geographic Names Information System to reflect the change. Trump linked the move to a breakdown in U.S.-Canada trade negotiations, saying at the Oval Office signing, "Canada has been ripping us off for years on trade. Very sadly, even the military — we defend Canada for nothing." He also joked about potentially renaming the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, saying, "We have a gulf and we have a lake. Now, all we need is an ocean."
The order applies only to how U.S. federal agencies refer to the lake, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border. Google announced Saturday it had updated Google Maps to show "Lake America" for users in the United States, while Canadian users will continue to see "Lake Ontario," and international users will see both names. Google said the change follows its "long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country."
Canadian officials responded swiftly. Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X that the lake's name "is more than 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America." Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a billboard on the Canadian shoreline reading "Lake Ontario — Now and Always," written in English and French, placed near a road frequently used by American travelers. "President Trump can call it whatever he wants, but I can tell you the rest of the world will always call it Lake Ontario," Ford told reporters, adding, "We'll never ever back down from a bully, ever."