Google Maps now shows ‘Lake America’ in U.S., not ‘Lake Ontario’

Google Maps has modified ⁠the identify of “Lake Ontario” to “Lake America” for U.S. customers to replicate President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming the lake, in keeping with a Google assertion.

Mr. Trump introduced on Thursday (August 27, 2026) that he was ‌altering the identify of the smallest of the 5 Nice Lakes, a part of an escalating commerce feud with Canada that has prompted the ‌two nations to impose reciprocal tariffs on billions of {dollars} in items.

The ‌President’s ⁠order impacts the U.S. Geographic Names Data System (GNIS), which units the ⁠requirements for official U.S. maps. It doesn’t have any impression on Canadian naming conventions or how the remainder of the world refers back to the lake.

“Since we replace Google Maps to replicate ​identify modifications in official authorities sources, which ‌is GNIS for the U.S., folks utilizing Maps within the U.S. will see ‘Lake America,’ these in Canada will proceed to see ‘Lake Ontario,’ and people exterior of the U.S. and Canada will see each names,” Google mentioned in a ‌weblog submit issued on Saturday.

The White Home, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s workplace ​and Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s workplace didn’t instantly touch upon Google’s choice on Sunday.

An indication studying “Lake Ontario, Now and At all times,” unveiled by Ontario Premier Doug Ford at Fifty Level Conservation Space, after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an govt order renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” close to Grimsby, Ontario, Canada, on August 29, 2026
| Picture Credit score:
Reuters

Google Maps made the same change to ⁠the Gulf of Mexico final yr, labelling it the “Gulf of America” following Trump’s govt order on his first day in workplace renaming the physique of water.

Mr. Carney instantly rejected the ‌lake’s identify change on Thursday. Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul of New York, which shares a protracted border with Canada, declared that “New York received’t be calling it that,” whereas Phil Scott, the Republican governor of neighboring Vermont, known as Mr. Trump’s choice “petty and disappointing” on social media.

In Ontario, Mr. Ford on Saturday unveiled a big lakeside signal that reads, “Lake Ontario: Now and At all times,” in each English and French.

“President Trump can name it no matter ‌he desires, however I can inform you, the remainder of the world will all the time name it ​Lake Ontario,” Mr. Ford mentioned.

On Sunday night, an Ontario minister, Stephen Crawford, mentioned the province was reviewing its web sites after Lake America appeared on ⁠websites just like the Liquor Management Board of Ontario. The LCBO, a significant world purchaser, is ⁠not stocking U.S. alcohol because of the commerce conflict.

“Some Ontario authorities company web sites pull map knowledge straight from Google Maps,” Mr. Crawford mentioned on ‌the social media website X. “Following latest modifications by Google, we’re actively reviewing our web sites to verify all of them establish Lake Ontario by its right identify: Lake ​Ontario”.