Google has updated its maps application to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for users in the United States, following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. The order, announced on Thursday, represents part of an ongoing trade dispute between the United States and Canada, with both nations having imposed billions of dollars in reciprocal tariffs on each other’s goods.

The U.S. executive order directed the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which sets standards for official U.S. maps, to change the lake’s name. Google said it updated its maps to reflect this official change for U.S. users, consistent with its policy of aligning map data with government sources. Users in Canada continue to see “Lake Ontario,” while those outside the U.S. and Canada are shown both names on Google Maps. This move echoes a similar decision by Google in 2025, when it renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” in the United States following an executive order issued by Trump on his first day in office.

The renaming has been met with opposition from officials on both sides of the border. In Canada, Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a large lakeside sign declaring, “Lake Ontario: Now and Always” in both English and French. Ford dismissed the U.S. name change, stating that while President Trump may call it “Lake America,” the international community will continue to refer to the lake by its original name.

Ontario Minister Stephen Crawford later noted that some provincial government websites had inadvertently displayed “Lake America,” as they pull map data directly from Google Maps. He said the province was actively reviewing these sites to ensure they display the correct name, “Lake Ontario.”

In the United States, responses from state leaders were mixed. Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul, whose state shares a significant border along the lake, announced that New York would not recognize the new name. Meanwhile, Republican Vermont Governor Phil Scott criticized the renaming as “petty and disappointing” on social media.

The renaming of Lake Ontario is a symbolic element of the broader tensions in U.S.-Canada relations tied to ongoing trade disputes. While the executive order formalizes the name change in the U.S., it has no legal effect in Canada, where the original name remains officially recognized. The dispute underscores the complexities involved when local decisions intersect with cross-border geographic and political realities.