Google Maps Sparks Outrage After Renaming Lake Ontario to 'Lake America'

Google Maps has changed the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America for U.S. users to reflect President Donald Trump's executive order renaming the lake, according to a Google statement.

Trump announced on Thursday that he was changing the name of the smallest of the five Great Lakes, part of an escalating trade feud with Canada that has prompted the two countries to impose reciprocal tariffs on billions of dollars in goods.

How the Name Change Works

The president's order affects the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which sets the standards for official U.S. maps. It does not have any impact on Canadian naming conventions or how the rest of the world refers to the lake.

"Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is GNIS for the U.S., people using Maps in the U.S. will see 'Lake America,' those in Canada will continue to see 'Lake Ontario,' and those outside of the U.S. and Canada will see both names," Google said in a blog post issued on Saturday.

Political Reactions

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney immediately rejected the lake's name change on Thursday.

Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul of New York, which shares a long border with Canada, declared that "New York won't be calling it that," while Phil Scott, the Republican governor of neighboring Vermont, called Trump's decision "petty and disappointing" on social media.

In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford on Saturday unveiled a large lakeside sign that reads, "Lake Ontario: Now and Always," in both English and French.

"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 said.

Previous Google Maps Changes

Google Maps made a similar change to the Gulf of Mexico last year, labeling it the "Gulf of America" following Trump's executive order on his first day in office renaming the body of water.

Ontario Government Response

On Sunday evening, Ontario minister Stephen Crawford said the province was reviewing its websites after Lake America appeared on sites like the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. The LCBO, a major global buyer, is not stocking U.S. alcohol due to the trade war.

"Some Ontario government agency websites pull map data directly from Google Maps," Crawford said on the social media site X. "Following recent changes by Google, we're actively reviewing our websites to make sure they all identify Lake Ontario by its correct name: Lake Ontario."

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why did Google Maps change Lake Ontario to Lake America?

A: Google Maps updated the name to reflect President Trump's executive order renaming the lake. Google updates its maps to match official U.S. government sources like the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).

Q: Will everyone see Lake America on Google Maps?

A: No. Only users in the U.S. will see Lake America. Users in Canada will continue to see Lake Ontario, and users outside both countries will see both names.

Q: What other geographic names has Trump changed?

A: Last year, Trump issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which Google Maps also implemented for U.S. users.