Google Renames Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' Amid US-Canada Trade War

Google's map service has been updated to show Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' for users in the United States, following President Donald Trump's announcement that he was renaming the body of water. This move is seen as part of Trump's 'America First' narrative and has sparked a cross-border tension with Canada.

According to Google, people in Canada will still see the lake labeled as Lake Ontario on their devices and computers, which is the Indigenous-rooted name used since the 17th century. The update was made in line with the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), the official federal database for geographic names in the United States.

However, Apple's Maps app has maintained the original name Lake Ontario on its maps, which comes installed on iPhones in the United States. Trump has been critical of Canada, even going so far as to say 'I don't want Canadian cars, I don't want Canadian parts, I don't want Canadian anything.'

Ontario's Premier Doug Ford called the dispute 'absolutely backward' and warned that a trade war would harm both countries. He stated that it would be 'devastating to the U.S.' given that Canada has been by far the largest purchaser of U.S. vehicles.