US-Canada trade tensions rise as Google Maps renames Lake Ontario and Canada responds

An executive order signed by President Donald Trump has unilaterally renamed Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for federal use in the United States, a move that Google Maps has begun reflecting for its US-based users. This decision comes amidst heightened trade tensions between the United States and Canada, which have seen both nations implement reciprocal tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods. Google stated that its mapping service updates names to align with official government sources, in this case, the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).

Canadian officials have strongly denounced the renaming, emphasizing the deep historical and Indigenous roots of the name "Lake Ontario," which dates back over 400 years. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford swiftly rejected the change, with Premier Ford describing the situation as "absolutely backwards." Despite Google's update for American users, the name "Lake Ontario" remains visible for Canadian users of the mapping service, while those outside both countries see both names displayed. This incident echoes a previous executive order in 2025 where President Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," a change also reflected by Google Maps for US users. Notably, other mapping services like MapQuest have stated they will not adopt the new name.