Republican Pennsylvania House member David Maloney proposes renaming Lake Erie to Lake Pennsylvania, citing the lake's importance for fishing and tourism. This proposal follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America. Maloney plans to introduce a resolution urging Congress and the president to implement this change. Critics like University of Windsor professor Ken Drouillard argue that renaming historical landmarks breaks cultural connections and diminishes their significance.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Republican lawmaker David Maloney has proposed renaming Lake Erie to Lake Pennsylvania, arguing it is about the lake’s “modern identity” and stressing the importance of fishing and tourism for local economies. This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America. Maloney plans to submit a resolution before the U.S. House of Representatives, urging the president, Congress, and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to officially change the lake’s name. The proposal highlights Pennsylvania's singular connection to one of the Great Lakes, emphasizing its significance for local communities reliant on these waters.
Written for “Renaming Lake Erie” on 2026-09-12,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score +0.30 for article 8396 (medium confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-12
Republican lawmaker wants to rename Lake Erie to Lake Pennsylvania
asserted
lawmaker → want → Pennsylvania
David Maloney's proposal comes on heels of Trump's order to change name of Lake Ontario
First Lake Ontario.
asserted
proposal → come → Ontario
A republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives wants to change the name of another Great Lake.
asserted
member → want → Lake
On the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump signing an order to rename Lake Ontario, Lake America, David Maloney wants to change the name of Lake Erie to Lake Pennsylvania.
asserted
Maloney → sign → Pennsylvania
In a statement put forward earlier this week, Maloney said it’s about the lake’s “modern identity,” and that he’s preparing a resolution to put before the U.S. House of Representatives — urging the president, Congress and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to invoke the change.
“Pennsylvania has only one Great Lake and maybe it is time we put our name on it,” it read, stressing the importance of fishing and tourism the watercourse has on how people move around the lake and rely on it.
asserted
people → put → it
A portion of his riding stretches along the Lake Erie shoreline.
asserted
portion → stretch → shoreline
When contacted by CBC News, his office said he would not be providing any comment about the proposal at this time.
asserted
he → contact → time
The office for the same riding’s federal representative, MP Dave Epp, said he was unable to provide a comment or an interview due to prior commitments.
asserted
he → say → commitments
Maloney says Ohio already has plenty of shoreline, while New York has two Great Lakes — with Canada having four others.
asserted
Canada → say → others
Michigan is the fourth state that touches Lake Erie.
asserted
that → touch → Erie
Let’s call it Lake Pennsylvania!”
asserted
’s → let → Pennsylvania
'We ultimately become poorer for this loss'
asserted
We → become → loss
Ken Drouillard is a University of Windsor professor who teaches a course on the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
asserted
who → teach → Agreement
He says renaming places with strong historical significance, such as the Great Lakes, serves to break those connections.
asserted
renaming → say → connections
“We ultimately become poorer for this loss,” he told CBC News.
asserted
he → become → News
“Names are more than just labels on a map, they connect us to place and history,” added Drouillard, who’s also with the university’s Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER).
asserted
who → connect → Research
He says similar to Lake Ontario, Lake Erie’s name has its roots in First Nation naming conventions that predates both the U.S. and Canada.
asserted
that → say → U.S.
“Beyond this, renaming Lake Erie undermines the rich historical context that Lake Erie has played, particularly in the early westward migration and settlement of the U.S. Midwest.
asserted
Erie → rename → Midwest
Why isn't Canada blocking the Welland Canal?
asserted
Canada → block → Canal
Other trade war questions answered
asserted
questions → answer → ?
Ontario premier unveils Lake Ontario sign in Hamilton as tensions with U.S. escalate
asserted
tensions → unveil → U.S.
"The Lake Erie Canal was the first major inter-basin diversion connecting Lake Erie to the Hudson River and the New York City Port on the Atlantic Ocean.
asserted
Canal → connect → Ocean
Would renaming Lake Erie necessitate renaming this historical canal entirely enclosed in a different state?
asserted
renaming → rename → state
The name Erie is a short form of the Indigenous word erielhonan, which translates to “long tail.”
asserted
which → translate → tail
