Google Maps will show ’Lake America’ in US, not ’Lake Ontario’

On August 30, Google Maps updated its map of the United States to display "Lake America" instead of the traditional "Lake Ontario," as reported by Reuters. This change was made to honor President Donald Trump's executive order renaming the lake. The proclamation, made by Trump on Thursday, was part of a trade dispute with Canada, which resulted in reciprocal tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of goods.

The renaming does not affect Canada's official naming conventions or the global usage of the lake's name. According to Google, users in the U.S. will see "Lake America" while those in Canada and other parts of the world will continue to see "Lake Ontario." The White House, Carney's office, and Ford's office have not yet commented on the decision.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the name change on Thursday, while Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Republican Vermont Governor Phil Scott criticized Trump's decision. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, however, unveiled a sign proclaiming "Lake Ontario: Now and Always," emphasizing that the world will continue to call the lake by its traditional name.