In brief
President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America, a symbolic move amid stalled trade negotiations with Canada. The order follows the imposition of 50% tariffs on $20 bn of Canadian goods and a Canadian counter‑tariff. Trump, who has threatened several landmark name changes, cites a new “Lake America” policy as a response to the trade dispute. Canadian officials and the public reject the alteration, asserting the lake’s historic name will remain unchanged.
President Donald Trump signed the executive order on Thursday, placing the name Lake Ontario on the books as Lake America. The move follows a 50% tariff on $20 bn of Canadian goods and a promised Canada‑counter tariff slated for next month.
Trump’s remarks come amid a trade dispute that saw talks with Canada collapse at the last minute. “We don’t want it to snowball,” Trump said on X, adding that the renaming was “effective immediately” and that the administration has filed all the required paperwork.
Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Mark Carney and Industry Minister Melanie Joly, insist the name Lake Ontario will stay unchanged, citing the lake’s historic roots that pre‑date both the Canadian Confederation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
The decision follows a similar 2025 order that renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, a change disputed by Mexico and highlighted by Google Maps’ dual naming for users in the U.S. and Mexico.
The U.S. Department of the Interior will update the Geographic Names Information Service to reflect the change, but Canada remains unmoved. The renaming has sparked debate over sovereignty, cultural heritage, and the limits of national authority over shared geography.
