President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 27 directing the U.S. government to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in federal records. The move adds another symbolic dimension to the growing tensions between the United States and Canada.
The order instructs the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to update federal maps and databases within 30 days. Trump justified the decision by highlighting the lake’s importance to American commerce, transportation, energy and defense.
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However, the change does not mean Canada must adopt the new name. Lake Ontario is shared by the United States and Canada, and the Canadian government, international organizations and foreign mapmakers are not obligated to recognize the American designation.
Will Canada start calling it Lake America?
No. The executive order only applies to the U.S. government’s official geographic references, meaning Canada can continue using the traditional name, Lake Ontario.
The announcement comes amid an escalating trade dispute, including new tariffs imposed by Washington and retaliatory measures from Ottawa. The controversy also recalls Trump’s earlier decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
