Google Officially Changes Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’ for U.S. Users. But Canada Refuses to Bow Down
Canada isn't adopting the new name
Lake Ontario has officially picked up a new name on Google Maps for users in the United States. The service is now displaying ‘Lake America’ instead of Lake Ontario after President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. government to adopt the new name.
The Washington Post reported that Google made the change after ‘Lake America’ was added to the U.S. government’s Geographic Names Information System. Google’s policy is to use official government geographic names for locations where naming conventions differ between countries.
The change is not being applied worldwide. Google Maps users in Canada will continue to see ‘Lake Ontario,’ while users outside the United States and Canada will see both names, with the lake listed as ‘Lake Ontario (Lake America).’
Canada isn’t adopting the new name
Trump signed an executive order on August 27 directing the U.S. government to rename Lake Ontario ‘Lake America.’ The order calls for the new designation to be reflected in federal geographic records and official U.S. government references, following criticism of the renaming.
The decision only governs the name used by the United States government. Lake Ontario is a shared body of water, and the international boundary between the United States and Canada runs through the lake.
Canada has continued using Lake Ontario. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has rejected the American designation, and a sign displayed in the province states, ‘Lake Ontario. Now and forever.’ Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has also referred to the lake by its established name.
The name Ontario has Indigenous origins and predates the creation of both modern countries. The lake was known by variations of the name long before the Province of Ontario became part of Canada and before the United States existed in its current form.
Google’s decision follows the same approach it used when Trump ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the ‘Gulf of America’ for U.S. government purposes. That move also drew criticism over the administration’s decision to replace an established geographic name, amid backlash over the Gulf renaming.
The Great Lake covers roughly 7,300 square miles and forms part of the boundary between New York and Ontario. It is connected to Lake Erie by the Niagara River and drains into the St. Lawrence River, which eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean.
The lake is also important to both countries’ transportation and water systems. Major communities on its shores include Toronto on the Canadian side and Rochester and other New York communities on the U.S. side.
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