WASHINGTON: Google has updated Maps for US users to display Lake Ontario as “Lake America” following a US government directive, as diplomatic and trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa continue to escalate.
Google said on Saturday that it updates geographic names after official government sources adopt changes. Consequently, users accessing Maps in the United States will see “Lake America.”
However, Canadian users will continue to see “Lake Ontario,” while people outside the two countries will see both names displayed as “Lake Ontario (Lake America).”
US President Donald Trump highlighted the change on Truth Social after ordering federal agencies to adopt the new designation.
Canada Rejects US Renaming of Lake Ontario
The change follows an update by the US Geographic Names Information System, which standardises geographic names used by the federal government.
Trump ordered the renaming through an executive order amid worsening bilateral relations with Canada.
Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford rejected the measure and unveiled a new “Lake Ontario” sign on Saturday to reaffirm the waterway’s established name.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also criticised the executive order and highlighted the historic name’s Indigenous origins, citing the Wendat people.
Trump previously ordered the Gulf of Mexico renamed the “Gulf of America” after returning to office in January 2025, prompting similar location-based adjustments by Google Maps.
Trade Dispute Deepens Between Washington and Ottawa
The naming disagreement comes as the United States and Canada face an escalating trade confrontation following the collapse of bilateral negotiations.
Canada plans to impose retaliatory tariffs ranging from 15% to 50% on $20 billion worth of US imports beginning September 8.
Furthermore, Ottawa announced the measures after Washington imposed 50% tariffs on CAN$27.6 billion worth of Canadian products on August 22.
The Google Maps change therefore arrives amid broader political and economic friction, with the two neighbouring countries increasingly clashing over trade policy and symbolic disputes.
