What to know
- Hydro One faced backlash after its outage map incorrectly labelled Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” despite the U.S. name change applying only to U.S. government usage.
- The utility blamed a third-party mapping vendor for the error, apologized for the confusion, and said it was working to restore the proper geographic name. The map has since been corrected to “Lake Ontario.”
- Hydro One wasn’t alone: LCBO and Metrolinx also faced criticism after using “Lake America” before correcting their maps and references on Sunday.
- The incident sparked online outrage, with Ontarians criticizing Hydro One for relying on an American mapping provider and arguing that Canadian companies should continue using “Lake Ontario.”
The uproar over “Lake America” continues after Hydro One faces backlash for its outage map listing the name of the lake incorrectly.
Despite the executive order signed by President Donald Trump only being reflected for U.S. citizens, Hydro One customers noticed the Ontario electricity provider had labelled the Great Lake with the new moniker.
Hydro One received complaints about the label over the weekend, before they responded on X, calling the issue an “error.”
“We are aware that Lake Ontario is being incorrectly labeled on our outage map,” the provider wrote. “…We regret the error and apologize for any confusion it has caused.”
Hydro One explained the mislabeling was due to a third-party vendor they use for their mapping service.
“We are working with our vendor to correct the issue as quickly as possible and restore the proper geographic reference,” it added.
The incident comes just under a week after Trump signed the order, giving authority to the U.S. Geographic Names Information System to begin using the name “Lake America.”
Read More
Outside the U.S., Canadian maps continue to show “Lake Ontario,” while other countries in the world will see “Lake Ontario (Lake America).”
Hydro One wasn’t the only one to be caught using the U.S. name for the Great Lake, with LCBO and Metrolinx also catching heat for the label, before both companies made the fix.
Hydro One has since fixed the name to “Lake Ontario.”
Online reaction
The mislabelling caused an uproar with some Ontarians online, with many telling Hydro One to fix the issue as soon as it was pointed out.
The apology given by the electricity provider didn’t sit well, with some pointing out that the company’s mapping services should have always been Canadian, as a Canadian company itself.
“It didn’t cause “confusion” – it’s causing outrage,” one X user wrote. “Your service providers and servers should be based in Canada.”
“It’s NOT confusion; it’s that you are complicit in sourcing American vendors instead of Canadian ones. Disgusting,” another resident on X said.
Many also pointed out that Canada shouldn’t be following U.S. practices, especially as residents are funding the technology.
“Thanks for your quick response, but the bigger question is how much American sourcing goes into your company that is supported by Canadian taxpayers?” one X user asked.
“You shouldn’t be using an American third-party mapping service,” another said. “When does your contract with them end? Because you need to be using a Canadian company.”
Another resident stated they would never call the lake by its U.S. nickname, due to historical and nostalgic reasons.
“It’s been Lake Ontario for hundreds of years. I live right beside it, so don’t go using USA words,” one resident wrote on X. “#CanadaStrong Now and forever.”
