'Name dates back 400 years': Carney rejects Trump's 'Lake Ontario' name change

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney firmly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's attempt to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America," emphasizing that the lake's original name has been used for over 400 years. In a social media post, Carney explained that "Ontario" comes from the Wendat word meaning "the lake is beautiful, the lake is great," and the name predates both Canada and the United States.

He stressed that Canadians will continue to refer to the lake as Lake Ontario "today and forever." Trump, on the other hand, signed an executive order directing the U.S. geographic naming service to use "Lake America" instead. The decision specifically pertains to the lake's official U.S. designation but doesn't compel Canada to adopt the new name.

This move comes after Trump previously renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America." The dispute between the two nations escalated after trade talks broke down over what Canada deemed as "last-minute" U.S. changes, leading to retaliatory tariffs on goods worth $20 billion.