President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America. Trump’s request to Apple’s Maps platform was made by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who told Fox News that the request directly came from the president.
Apple has not yet confirmed whether it will comply, but Google announced that it will display Lake America to U.S. users and will keep Lake Ontario for Canada. Global users will see the name as “Lake Ontario (Lake America).” MapQuest, however, stated it would not change the name and is offering a custom naming tool to users.
The rename has caused confusion for Canadian entities. Hydro One, a Toronto‑based utility, apologized after its mapping service displayed the new name and said it was working with its vendor to correct the error. Other Ontario government agencies, such as Hydro Ottawa and the Liquor Board of Ontario, briefly showed Lake America on their maps.
At the lakeshore, Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a large sign proclaiming “Lake Ontario Now and Always” in English and French. Ford emphasized that the lake will remain known as Lake Ontario for “hundreds of years.”
The naming dispute underscores the broader tension between the United States and Canada over trade negotiations, while also raising questions about respecting indigenous origins for the Great Lakes—names such as Ontario, Huron, Michigan, and Erie come from native languages.
For more coverage, view the accompanying video “He’s losing it: Americans react to Lake Ontario name change.”
