Trump Officially Renames Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’

Shibbir AHmed, WASHINGTON DC: President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” adding another contentious geographic name change amid escalating tensions between the United States and Canada.

Trump signed the order Thursday, August 27, at the White House. The executive order, titled “Honoring the American History of the Great Lakes and Renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America,” directs the U.S. Department of the Interior to update the federal government’s official geographic records and maps to use the name “Lake America.”

The White House said the change is intended to recognize what it describes as the contributions and heritage of the American people and the historical importance of the Great Lakes.

The order applies to U.S. federal government usage. Because Lake Ontario is a binational body of water shared by the United States and Canada, the U.S. government cannot compel Canada to adopt the new name. Reuters reported that Canada is expected to continue using “Lake Ontario.”

The move comes as relations between Washington and Ottawa remain strained over trade. The Trump administration has imposed major tariffs on Canadian goods, while negotiations between the two countries have faced significant difficulties.

Trump’s decision immediately drew criticism from Canadian and American officials. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has indicated that the historic name will remain in use in Canada, while several U.S. governors have also rejected the proposed change. During the signing ceremony, Trump also suggested that additional geographic name changes could be considered.

“Now all we need is an ocean,” Trump said, raising the possibility of changing the names of the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. The Lake Ontario decision follows Trump’s earlier move to change the U.S. government’s name for the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America.” That change similarly generated controversy over whether the United States could unilaterally alter the name of an internationally recognized geographic feature.

The White House has published the Lake America executive order as an official presidential action and described the change as effective for U.S. government usage. Despite the presidential order, the traditional name Lake Ontario is expected to remain widely used internationally, particularly in Canada.