New Delhi: Google Maps has now changed the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America following US President Donald Trump’s executive order.
In a blog post, Google said that people using Maps in the US will see Lake America, but those in Canada will continue to see Lake Ontario, and those outside of the two countries will see both names.
“These updates follow our long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country, and are starting to roll out now,” the statement read.
This comes after Trump shared an AI-generated video of himself replacing the Lake Ontario sign with a “Welcome to Lake America” sign.
In 2025, Google Maps made a similar change to the Gulf of Mexico, renaming it Gulf of America, after Trump’s executive order on his first day back in office.
A map war
While Google may be complying with the President’s demands, internet users are less than happy about the renaming. The name change has drawn sharp criticism from progressive groups and Canadians.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the name change, insisting the body of water will remain Lake Ontario.
In an X post, Carney said the name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word “Ontari’io”, which appropriately means the lake is beautiful and big.
“The name is more than 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms,” wrote Carney.
The PM added that while America is changing, Canadians know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario—then, now and always.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also took a jibe at Trump by installing a signboard with the message: Lake Ontario. Now and Always.
“Long before President Trump, this lake was called Lake Ontario. Long after President Trump is gone, it will still be called Lake Ontario,” said Ford on X.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)