Google Maps has renamed Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for users in the United States, following President Donald Trump’s decision to rename the body of water.
The change was visible on Google Maps in the US on Sunday, while users in Canada will continue to see the lake’s traditional name, Lake Ontario.
Google said the change reflects the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), the federal database used for official geographic names in the United States.
“Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is GNIS for the US, people using Maps in the US will see ‘Lake America,’ those in Canada will continue to see ‘Lake Ontario,’ and those outside of the US and Canada will see both names,” the company said in a blog post.
Apple’s Maps app, meanwhile, had not adopted the “Lake America” name as of Sunday morning.
The move has added another layer to growing tensions between the US and Canada, as the two longtime allies remain locked in a trade dispute involving retaliatory tariffs.
The renaming echoes Trump’s decision in January 2025 to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, a move rejected by Mexico.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticised the latest change, describing the move as “absolutely backwards”.
“It was like something out of ‘Saturday Night Live’ when he signed a document saying — changed to ‘Lake America.’ No one’s going to call it Lake of America,” Ford told ABC’s This Week programme.
“It’s just so disappointing.”
Ford also warned that the continuing trade war could hurt both countries, arguing that the impact would be particularly severe for the US because Canada is a major buyer of American vehicles.
“A tariff on Canada is nothing more than a tax on American people,” he said. “It’s probably the worst move you could ever do.”
The US and Canadian auto industries are closely linked, with Canadian-made parts forming a significant part of the supply chain for vehicles manufactured in the United States.
Trump defended his trade position on Sunday, saying Americans “want to make our own cars”.
“Canada has been ripping us off for years — NO LONGER!” he wrote on Truth Social.
