What to know
- Google Maps has renamed Lake Ontario to “Lake America” for users in the U.S., following an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump. The lake remains Lake Ontario for Canadian users, while people elsewhere will see both names.
- Google says the change follows its policy of using official government sources for regional names, with the U.S. Geographic Names Information System listing the lake as “Lake America.”
- Canadian officials have rejected the renaming. Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow have all pushed back, with Ford unveiling a “Lake Ontario Now and Always” sign near Grimsby.
- The name Lake Ontario has Indigenous roots and dates back more than 400 years, predating both Canadian Confederation and U.S. independence. The Google change has sparked significant online backlash, while other map apps, including Apple Maps and Waze, have reportedly kept the name Lake Ontario.
U.S. residents will now be seeing a different North American map than the rest of the world, as Google Maps has changed the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” for only those in Canada’s neighbouring country.
On Saturday, Google announced the change, just three days after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename the Great Lake for the country.
Google stated that the changes it makes are based on its policy of using official government sources for regional names.
“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…’” the global technology company said.
While the lake will now appear as Lake America on Google Maps for people located in the U.S., it remains unchanged for Canadians.
Maps in Canada will continue to show Lake Ontario’s original name. However, the conflicting rhetoric means users elsewhere in the world will see both names, with the lake displayed as “Lake Ontario (Lake America).”
The change comes days after Trump signed the order on Thursday. This move by the leader directed the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America and update the GNIS, the U.S. Geographic Names Information System, accordingly.
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According to Trump, his decision was based on a belief in a trading halt between Ontario and the U.S. in the future, amid an ongoing trade war with the province and country.
The signed order argues that the lake is an important U.S. economic and historical resource, also pointing to its role in shipping and defence, as well as the Great Lakes freshwater system.
This change for the south-of-the-border nation does not change Canada’s official name for the lake
Toronto mayor Olivia Chow did not approve of the change, even when it was just a concept posted by Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“It’s not a very neighbourly thing to do. We’re supposed to love our neighbour as ourselves,” she told CBS News reporter Eroll Barnett.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney has also rejected the renaming, saying the lake’s historic name will stay Lake Ontario in Canada.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also pushed back against the change and revealed a large sign near Grimsby, Ont., on Saturday that reads “Lake Ontario Now and Always.”
“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 at the unveiling.
The lake, which is shared by the province of Ontario and the state of New York, has Indigenous roots.
Carney has pointed to the name “Ontario’s” origins in the Wendat language, meaning “sparkling water.” It’s been a name used for more than 400 years, with its first recording in 1641. This name predates both the Canadian Confederation in 1867 and the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776.
The change is also similar to another change made by Google and the U.S.
Previously, the company adjusted Google Maps after Trump ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the “Gulf of America.” The same rules apply to this name, as the body of water appears as Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) for Canadian residents on the application.
Canadians and other parts of the world react online
Following Saturday’s announcement, Canadians and other social media users took to different platforms online to share their thoughts, with a majority of comments leaning more negatively toward the decision made by Google, as well as Trump and his government.
“So many issues we could address, but yeah, let’s rename a lake.. That’ll teach em! They certainly have their priorities straight!” one X user said.
Many others agreed, with one X user stating that the change by Google was unacceptable.
“@googlemaps capitulated very quickly to something that is not accepted by the country within which the MAJORITY of the lake – both in terms of surface area and volume- lies,” they said.
“The rest of the world keeps calling it Lake Ontario [and] Gulf of Mexico,” another user wrote in protest of the changes.
Another user was not happy with Google, even going as far as denouncing their use of the application.
“@Google, any name change has to go through Congress. If you can’t provide accurate information on your maps, but only political ploys, I don’t need your maps,” they said.
“Trump’s idiocy has no meaning outside the U.S.,” another user wrote.
“Fascism only works when you comply,” another user said.
Many users said that despite being outside both Canada and the U.S., the lake is, and will remain, Lake Ontario for them.
“In Poland it’s Lake Ontario,” one X user said.
“Here in Chile, [it’s] still Lake Ontario, and I hope, in the rest of the world too,” another said.
Additionally, many pointed out that other map applications had not changed the lake’s name, including Apple Maps and Waze.
For anyone in Toronto who still uses Google Maps, the lake will remain Lake Ontario.
