Rochester Council Rejects Trump's Lake Ontario Rename in Unanimous Vote
Updated
Updated · 13WHAM-TV · Aug 29
Rochester Council Rejects Trump's Lake Ontario Rename in Unanimous Vote
3 articles · Updated · 13WHAM-TV · Aug 29
Summary
Rochester City Council unanimously signed a proclamation Friday saying the city will keep using Lake Ontario in all official local matters, rejecting President Donald Trump's “Lake America” rename.
Trump's executive order directs the Interior Department to change the Great Lake's name in the federal geographic naming system, a move tied to escalating tensions with Canada.
Council President Miguel Meléndez said he will introduce a resolution urging the administration to reverse course, calling the rename a distraction from housing, utility and grocery costs and the war in Iran.
11 years after adopting the name, Rochester business Ontario Play & Cafe said it will not rebrand, while Canadian officials have largely brushed off the change and noted Lake Ontario's name predates both countries.