Google Maps Renames Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' Amid US-Canada Trade Tensions
Google Maps has made a significant change to its mapping of Lake Ontario. The lake, which borders New York and the Canadian province of Ontario, is now labeled as 'Lake America' for users in the United States.
The name change follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on August 27 amid rising tensions with Canada over trade tariffs. Trump had previously threatened to impose a 50% tariff on cars, trucks, and automotive parts from Canada starting in 2027, prompting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to vow to match the tariffs 'dollar for dollar'.
Google's statement explained that they update their maps to reflect name changes in official government sources. In this case, the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) had formally changed the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America.