President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he was pleased with Google Maps' decision to change the name of Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' for users in the United States. The change follows an executive order issued by Trump last week directing the Interior Department to adopt 'Lake America' for U.S. federal purposes, amid ongoing trade disputes with Canada.
Trump shared a screenshot of the altered Google Maps display on his Truth Social account. The executive order does not compel Canada or international bodies to recognize the new name. Canadian officials have voiced opposition to the renaming.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has previously had disagreements with Trump, rejected the name change, emphasizing the indigenous roots of 'Lake Ontario,' derived from a Wendat word signifying 'the lake is beautiful, the lake is great.' In a gesture of protest, Ontario Premier Doug Ford erected a large sign on the Canadian side of the border reading: 'Lake Ontario. Now and Always.'
Google stated that the alteration affects only U.S. users and has no bearing on Canadian naming conventions or global references to the lake. "Those in Canada will continue to see 'Lake Ontario' on Google Maps, and those outside … the US and Canada will see both names," a company statement noted. The tech giant previously adopted a similar approach when Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the 'Gulf of America' during his second term.
Trump also marked the occasion by posting an AI-generated video of himself dancing beside a 'Lake America' sign.
