Google has updated its maps for U.S. users, changing the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America", following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump amid a trade dispute with Canada. The change only affects U.S. users and is in line with Google's policy for bodies of water with names that vary across countries. As of Sunday, Apple had not made the same change on its maps, but MapQuest did post a satirical response to the name change. The change has been met with opposition from Canadian officials and some Democratic lawmakers.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-31,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
U.S. users looking for Lake Ontario on Google Maps will now find “Lake America” in its place, after President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename the lake amid an escalating trade stoush.
asserted
users → look → stoush
Google announced on Saturday that the lake, which borders the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York, will appear as “Lake America” in the U.S., “Lake Ontario” in Canada, and “Lake Ontario (Lake America)” for users in the rest of the world.
asserted
which → announce → world
The company said it changed the maps following the formal renaming by the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), and that the update is in line with its “long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country.”
asserted
that → say → country
The change has divided tech companies.
asserted
change → divide → companies
MapQuest, the first commercial web mapping service, said in a Thursday post, “We’re not changing the name of Lake Ontario.
asserted
We → say → Ontario
Name it whatever you want at your leisure.”
asserted
you → name → leisure
The post included a link to a satirical tool allowing users to give the lake a name of their choosing and an image of a parody map labeling the body of water, “Lake Are We Doing This Again?”
asserted
We → include → This
As of Sunday, Apple had not changed the name on Apple Maps.
asserted
Apple → change → Maps
The change comes after Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to officially rename the body of water—the latest salvo in an escalating trade war with Canada.
asserted
Trump → come → Canada
After trade talks abruptly collapsed earlier this month, the U.S. and Canada announced tit-for-tat tariffs of up to 50% on some goods.
asserted
U.S. → collapse → goods
Canadian officials also called for Canadians to boycott U.S. travel and products, while Trump revived rhetoric of Canada being the “51st state” of the U.S., claiming that Canada wanted “the benefits of being a State, without being one.”
asserted
Canada → call → benefits
The name change has faced significant opposition from Democrats.
asserted
change → face → Democrats
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D, Mich.) announced plans to introduce the “Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act,” a bill that would reverse Trump’s order renaming the lake.
asserted
that → announce → lake
Other Democratic lawmakers reportedly said they were preparing legislation to counter the name change.
uncertain
they → say → change
Canadian officials also derided the name change.
asserted
officials → deride → change
Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the renaming on Thursday, noting that Canadians will continue “calling it Lake Ontario—then, now and always.”
asserted
Canadians → reject → it
On Saturday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a newly erected 24-by-12-foot sign overlooking the lake in Winona, Ontario, that read “Lake Ontario Now and Always” in English and French.
asserted
that → unveil → English
“No one’s going to call it Lake of America.
asserted
one → go → America
It’s going to continue being Lake Ontario.
asserted
It → go → ?
It’s just so disappointing,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → ?
Some Ontario government and business websites that use data from Google Maps showed “Lake America” after the change.
asserted
that → use → change
A Google spokesperson told Axios that website developers embedding Google Maps can select a region to localize their maps.
asserted
developers → tell → maps
“Following recent changes by Google, we’re actively reviewing our websites to make sure they all identify Lake Ontario by its correct name: Lake Ontario,” Stephen Crawford, Ontario’s minister of public and business service delivery and procurement, posted.
asserted
Crawford → follow → delivery
“As Ontarians, we will always stand up for our province, our identity and the places that define it.”
asserted
that → stand → it
Previous name changes
Google made a similar change in February 2025 after Trump issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”
asserted
Gulf → make → America
Google began displaying “Gulf of America” to Google Maps users in the U.S. after the name change was made in the U.S. federal geographic database.
asserted
change → begin → database
Users in Mexico continued to see “Gulf of Mexico” and users elsewhere saw both names.
asserted
users → continue → names
Soon after, Apple Maps adopted the new name for U.S. users.
asserted
Maps → adopt → users
Mexico filed a lawsuit against Google in May 2025, arguing that the U.S. did not have the authority to rename the entire gulf, including waters under Mexican jurisdiction.
uncertain
U.S. → file → jurisdiction
The suit followed Google’s refusal to limit the “Gulf of America” label to the portion of the gulf under U.S. jurisdiction, as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had requested.
asserted
Sheinbaum → follow → jurisdiction
The lawsuit remains pending before the Superior Court of Justice of Mexico City.
asserted
lawsuit → pende → City
Both Google and Apple also changed their U.S. map labels for North America’s highest peak from Denali to Mount McKinley last February.
asserted
Google → change → McKinley
Trump had directed the name change in the same executive order, reversing a 2015 decision that had restored Denali, the mountain’s Alaska Native name, as its federal designation.
asserted
that → direct → designation
