Google Maps has begun displaying Lake Ontario as Lake America for users in the United States, putting into effect President Donald Trump‘s latest geographical renaming order amid continuing tensions between Washington and Ottawa.
Lake Ontario is now Lake America under Trump’s orders
The technology company said the change was being rolled out in line with its existing practice of following the naming conventions used by the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIC). What’s worth noting is that the updated label will not appear the same way for all users.
Google in a latest statement, “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.”
The move follows Trump’s decision on Thursday to rename the lake. The announcement was met with scepticism and ridicule in parts of Canada and United States.
The quickly became source of online jokes and memes, while the dispute adding another layer to already strained relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Google’s approach mirrors its handling of another Trump-backed geographical change. The company previously updated Google Maps to display Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America for users in the United States after the president ordered the name change.
The Lake Ontario decision comes as trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa continue to shape relations. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney walked away difficult US trade discussions on 21 August, describing the proposed arrangement as a “bad deal”. He also said that it would damage Canada’s economy sovereignty.
Carney has also rejected the idea that the lake’s identity can simply be altered by a US presidential order. In a statement responding to Trump’s announcement, he pointed to the history of the name Ontario, noting that it is an Indigenous name that predates both modern Canada and the United States.
Carney’s statement said, “We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms,” Mr. Carney said in his post on Thursday. “Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always.”
Trump, meanwhile, has openly embraced the renaming. In an AI-generated video he shared online, the president walks towards a sign marked “Lake Ontario”, kicks it down and replaces it with a new sign reading “Lake America” before breaking into a dance.
The latest Google Maps update means the two names will now appear according to the user’s location, with US users seeing the new designation and Canadian users retaining Lake Ontario. Users elsewhere will see both names as the company implements the changes.
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