Google Maps Renames Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' Amid US-Canada Tensions
Google Maps has recently updated its naming convention for Lake Ontario, displaying it as 'Lake America' to users in the United States. This change is reportedly due to a decision by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which has formally entered the new name into its database.
The update follows an executive order signed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, renaming one of the Great Lakes and taking effect immediately. The order referenced the lake's natural resources and historical connection to the early development of the United States.
However, not everyone is pleased with this change. Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized the decision, calling it 'something out of Saturday Night Live.' He also stated that no one would refer to the body of water as 'Lake America' due to its long-standing name of Lake Ontario.
The Seneca Nation, a member of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, has also urged Trump to revoke the order, citing the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua. The treaty defines the borders of the Seneca Nation from Lake Ontario, and the nation considers the lake's new name to be a violation.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also condemned the name change, referencing the Wendat word Ontari'io, which means 'lake beautiful, lake great.'