MapQuest Defies Trump Order, Refuses to Rename Lake Ontario

MapQuest has refused to rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' as ordered by President Donald Trump. The executive order, signed on Thursday, aimed to rename the lake for U.S. federal use amid escalating tensions between the US and Canada following the collapse of trade talks.

The White House announced that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) had officially designated Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' in its electronic documents and the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). However, MapQuest tweeted that it would not be changing the name of the lake, instead allowing users to rename it themselves through a name generator.

The move has sparked controversy, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejecting the name change, citing the centuries-old history of the lake's name. Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul also weighed in, stating that New York would not be calling it 'Lake America'. The State Department even took a tongue-in-cheek approach, correcting its website to reflect the new name.

The question remains whether Google Maps will follow suit and adopt the new name for U.S. users. Google had previously updated its maps to reflect Trump's executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in 2025.