Trump Signs Executive Order Renaming Lake Ontario 'Lake America'

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario 'Lake America', sparking outrage from Indigenous leaders and advocates in Canada.

The change, which only affects U.S. federal documents and geographic services, was reflected on Google Maps as of August 29, according to the search giant's corporate website.

While Canadians will still see the lake listed as Lake Ontario, specifically searching for 'Lake America' currently pulls up the lake in the United States.

The name change has been met with resistance from Indigenous leaders, who argue that it erases their history and cultural heritage in the region. Wendat Nation Grand Chief Pierre Picard called the move an attempt to eradicate their history, noting that the name 'Ontari:io' predates the founding of both Canada and the United States.

The move is seen as part of a larger escalation of tensions between the two countries since trade talks fell apart on August 21. Both countries have accused each other of implementing eleventh-hour changes to a proposed interim trade deal, leading to retaliatory measures from the Canadian government set to kick in on September 8.