‘Lake Ontario’ hat maker sees politics and sales in Trump’s name change

Alphabet Inc. revealed that Google Maps will label Lake Ontario as "Lake America" for American users after President Donald Trump announced his intention to rename the lake during a trade disagreement with Canada. The move was prompted by a modification to the official U.S. geographic naming system, according to the company. The lake is part of the Great Lakes and straddles the boundary between the United States and Canada.

Trump engaged in a dispute with New York Governor Kathy Hochul over the new name, who asserted that New York State would not adopt it. Canadian users will retain the designation of Lake Ontario, whereas the remainder of the world will see both labels. Alphabet stated in a statement that these updates adhere to their established policy for bodies of water with varying names across countries.

MapQuest will not modify the name in its offerings, the platform reported on social media. Apple Maps currently presents the water body to U.S. users as Lake Ontario. In 2021, Trump directed the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the Gulf of America.