Google Maps renames Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’ in US — but not Canada

Google altered the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" on its maps for users in the United States, following President Donald Trump's announcement on Sunday. This move was in accordance with the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), the official federal database in the United States. However, Canadians will continue to see the lake referred to as "Lake Ontario," its Indigenous-rooted name dating back to the 17th century.

The controversy has escalated tensions between the two North American neighbors, who are already engaged in a trade war that has resulted in reciprocal tariffs. Apple's Maps app, which is pre-installed on all iPhones, does not display "Lake America" on its map updates as of Sunday morning. Google's decision to rename the lake mirrors a similar change made by the US to the Gulf of Mexico in January 2025, which Mexico has rejected.

Ontario, the smallest of the five Great Lakes by surface area, lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. Ontario's premier, Doug Ford, criticized the trade dispute and Trump's decision, calling it "absolutely backwards" and "disappointing." Ford also warned that a trade war would severely impact the US economy, given that Canada is the largest purchaser of US vehicles, and a tariff on Canada would essentially be a tax on American consumers.

Trump responded to the controversy on his Truth Social platform, stating that Americans want to make their own cars and accusing Canada of "ripping us off for years."