Google Maps Renames Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' Following Trump Order

Google has officially renamed Lake Ontario to "Lake America" on Google Maps for users in the United States, following an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at exerting pressure on Canada amid strained trade relations between the two countries.

According to Google's announcement on Saturday, the name will be updated for US users, while Canadian users will continue to see "Lake Ontario." For users in other countries outside these two, Google will display both names.

Google stated that this decision reflects the update from the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and aligns with the company's long-standing policy for water bodies with different names across countries. The changes began rolling out over the weekend.

Previously, Google had applied a similar policy when President Trump unilaterally renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America last year. Meanwhile, Apple Maps, despite adhering to the Gulf of Mexico rename, still displayed Lake Ontario for US users as of Sunday.

The Trump administration officially renamed the lake, which sits between Canada's Ontario province and the US state of New York, on Thursday, a move widely seen as an attempt to pressure Canada. Previously, Trump had threatened to rename the lake as a retaliatory measure, following the imposition of a 50% tariff on certain Canadian products after the two countries failed to reach a trade agreement. Canada has responded with similar tariffs.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney commented on Wednesday on the origin of the lake's name. He wrote on social media: "The name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word 'Ontari'io,' meaning 'beautiful lake, great lake.' This name has existed for over 400 years, before Canada was founded and before the US Declaration of Independence." Carney emphasized that even as the US changes its trade relations, foreign policy, and the names of water bodies, "calling things by their right name means calling it Lake Ontario – before, now, and forever."

Over the past several days, Trump has repeatedly posted on social media to celebrate the name change. On Saturday, he shared an AI-generated video depicting Canadian geese with hair resembling his own holding guns while patrolling "Lake America," ending with a gunshot into the air. Critics have denounced the policy, arguing that the US is focusing on trivial matters instead of addressing substantive issues like the rising cost of living.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Sunday called Trump's order "something straight out of a Saturday Night Live skit." He asserted on ABC News: "Nobody calls it Lake America. It has been Lake Ontario for hundreds of years and will continue to be Lake Ontario."

The dispute over the lake's name comes amid an escalating US-Canada trade war. Since returning to the White House, Trump has used tariffs to increase the cost of imports to eliminate what he considers unfair trade deficits. Canada, one of the US's closest allies and its third-largest exporter to the US, has become a frequent target in Trump's trade conflicts.

Beyond trade issues, Trump has repeatedly questioned Canada's status as a sovereign nation. In the early months of his second term, he referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a "governor," implying that Canada is more like a US state than an independent country. Mark Carney succeeded Trudeau in March 2025 with a platform focused on responding to Trump's policies and helping Canada adapt to a new relationship with the US.