New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has rejected President Donald Trump's executive order to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America," stating her state will continue to use the original name. The order comes amid an intensifying trade dispute between the United States and Canada.
Hochul, a Democrat, wrote on X that "New York won’t be calling it that." Trump's directive instructs the Interior Department and the Board on Geographic Names to update federal records to reflect the new name, though it does not compel Canadian authorities or international bodies to adopt it.
The name "Lake Ontario" originates from the Wendat word "Ontari’io," which translates to "the lake is beautiful, the lake is big." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney noted that this name predates both the Confederation of Canada and the U.S. Declaration of Independence. He stated that "naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always."
U.S. states are not bound by the executive order and can maintain "Lake Ontario" on state maps and tourism materials. Other state leaders have also criticized or mocked Trump's action. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers humorously declared he had renamed Lake Michigan "Lake Wisconsin," while Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, called the renaming over a trade feud "petty and disappointing."
Scott emphasized that "escalating tensions does nothing to help American or Canadian families and businesses" and advocated for negotiations to strengthen economies.
Lake Ontario's name is also commonly traced to an Indigenous word meaning "lake of shining waters." The lake's watershed, which connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence Seaway, includes approximately 5.6 million Americans and Canadians. The lake forms part of the border between Canada's Ontario province and New York.
Hochul has previously criticized Trump's trade policies, stating that the president is "treating our allies as enemies" and that "American families continue to suffer because of it."
Canada has announced plans to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods beginning Sept. 8, in response to the Trump administration's new 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Canadian officials stated they would "match Washington's new tariffs dollar for dollar in order to protect Canadian workers, farmers, families, and businesses."