Google Maps Renames Lake Ontario for 330 Million Americans as U.S.-Canada Trade War Deepens
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 30
Google Maps Renames Lake Ontario for 330 Million Americans as U.S.-Canada Trade War Deepens
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 30
Summary
Google has begun showing “Lake America” to U.S. users on Maps after President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week renaming Lake Ontario.
The company said the rollout follows its policy of using names in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System; Canadian users will still see “Lake Ontario,” while users elsewhere will see both names.
Trump’s move drew ridicule in Canada and the United States, and he amplified it with an AI-generated video portraying armed ducks defending a lake marked “Lake America.”
Mark Carney said “Ontario” is a historical Indigenous name predating both countries, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a “Lake Ontario Now and Always” sign and dismissed the change.
The naming fight has widened a dispute that intensified after Aug. 21 trade talks collapsed, triggering new U.S. tariffs and planned Canadian countertariffs due Sept. 8.