Trump Renames Lake Ontario 'Lake America' in Latest Trade War Escalation

US President Donald Trump has reignited tensions with Canada over trade by signing an order to rename Lake Ontario 'Lake America', according to Google Maps. The change, which only affects US users, comes as part of the country's 'America First' narrative.

The move mirrors a similar decision made earlier this year when Trump unilaterally altered the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, a change that was also rejected by Mexico.

Google explained that it updated its maps to reflect the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which lists the official federal database for geographic names. As a result, people using Google Maps in the US will see 'Lake America', while those in Canada will continue to see 'Lake Ontario'. Users outside of both countries may see both names.

The renaming of Lake Ontario has been met with criticism from Canadian officials, including Premier Doug Ford, who described it as 'absolutely backwards' and compared it to a scene from the TV show 'Saturday Night Live'.