Trump Orders ‘Lake America’ Name For Lake Ontario

President Donald Trump has ordered the US federal government to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America”, adding a new point of tension to his worsening dispute with Canada.

The executive order, signed on Thursday, applies to the lake shared by New York and Ontario. Although Trump said the change took effect immediately, the order gives the Interior Department 30 days to complete the administrative work. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum must coordinate with the US Board on Geographic Names and update federal mapping systems, documents and communications.

However, the Lake America order does not change what Canada calls the shared body of water. The US can adopt the name for federal purposes, while Canadian authorities retain their own official naming system. Private mapping companies are also not automatically required to follow the US decision.

There is precedent for commercial adoption. After Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” in 2025, the US Geological Survey reported that Google Maps and Apple Maps had also reflected the change.

The Lake America announcement comes amid a much larger trade dispute. New US tariffs of 50 per cent took effect on August 22 on Canadian goods worth C$27.6 billion, while Ottawa announced countermeasures covering the same value of US imports.

The two countries nevertheless remain closely linked economically. The Office of the US Trade Representative estimates that US-Canada goods and services trade reached $872.3 billion in 2025.

Lake Ontario itself covers 18,960 square kilometres, with the international boundary running through it. The International Joint Commission says the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty governs disputes involving shared waters, and the new naming order does not alter the border or treaty obligations.

Canadian officials have rejected the proposed name. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said, “We’ll always call it Lake Ontario. Period.”

Will the Lake America dispute further strain relations between the US and Canada?