Google Maps Renames Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' Amid US-Canada Trade War
Google Maps has made a significant change to Lake Ontario's name for users in the US. The lake, which gets its name from the Indigenous Wendat word 'Ontari'io', meaning 'big, beautiful lake', is now displayed as 'Lake America'. This decision follows President Donald Trump's order to rename the lake, which was part of a broader effort to change the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
The move comes amid a trade war between the US and Canada. The two countries had been negotiating a deal to resolve the dispute, but it fell through after Prime Minister Mark Carney complained about 'last-minute changes' that were 'unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal'. One of the sticking points was American objections to French product labeling laws as well as French content requirements for streaming services in Quebec.
While the name change has taken effect on Google Maps for users in the US, those in Canada will continue to see 'Lake Ontario' displayed. The company explained that it updates its maps based on official government sources, including GNIS. This is not the first time Google has faced criticism for following through with Trump's orders; in 2025, it labeled the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America', which sparked a lawsuit from Mexico.