Google changes the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” in its maps within the United States only

After changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in response to US President Donald Trump's decision, the giant technology company Google stated that users in Canada will still see the name "Lake Ontario", which has been officially used since the seventeenth century.

This sudden disagreement over the naming is the latest chapter of Trump’s rhetoric based on the “America First” principle, with the escalation of the trade war between the two old allies Canada and America, with the imposition of mutual customs duties.

The Apple Maps app did not show the name “Lake America” as of Sunday morning (August 30, 2026).

Google explained that it made the change in line with the US Geographic Names Information System, which is an official federal database.

The company stated on its blog, “As we update Google Maps to reflect name changes mentioned in official government sources... users within the United States will see the name Lake America, while users in Canada will continue to see the name Lake Ontario, and users outside the United States and Canada will see both names.”

This comes after Trump unilaterally changed the name of the “Gulf of Mexico” to “America’s Gulf” in January 2025, in a move rejected by Mexico.

A trade war is a loss for both parties

Lake Ontario is the smallest in area among the five Great Lakes that extend along the Canadian-American border, specifically between the province of Ontario and the US state of New York.

Today, the Prime Minister of the Canadian province of Ontario, Doug Ford, launched new criticism of the trade dispute and Trump's move to change the name of the lake. He said on ABC*, “The matter is completely backwards, as the scene seemed to be taken from (the American comedy program) +Saturday Night Live+ when he signed a document changing the name to Lake America.” "No one will call it America's Lake," he added. "It's disappointing."

Ford also warned that the trade war would harm both countries, but it would be "undoubtedly disastrous for the United States," because Canada is by far the largest buyer of American vehicles. If purchases stop, American auto factories will be severely affected.

He continued, "Imposing tariffs on Canada is nothing but imposing a tax on the American people, and it is perhaps the worst step that could ever be taken."

The automotive manufacturing sectors in Canada and the United States are closely linked, and a large portion of American vehicle parts are manufactured in Canada. For his part, Trump wrote on his social platform, Truth Social, “Canada has been exploiting us for years, and this will not continue anymore!”

Edited by: Imad Ghanem