Google Maps has redesignated Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for users in the United States, following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the body of water would be renamed.
The technology giant confirmed that the change would apply to users accessing Google Maps from the US, while people in Canada would continue to see the lake’s traditional name, Lake Ontario.
Users outside the United States and Canada will reportedly see both names displayed.
Google said the decision was made to align its maps with the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), the federal government’s official database for geographic names.
“Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is GNIS for the US, people using Maps in the US will see ‘Lake America,’ those in Canada will continue to see ‘Lake Ontario,’ and those outside of the US and Canada will see both names,” the company said.
The move has sparked fresh tensions between the United States and Canada, with an Ontario official describing the development as “absolutely backwards”.
The name Lake Ontario, which has Indigenous roots, has been used for centuries, dating back to the 17th century.
The dispute mirrors Trump’s decision in January 2025 to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America”, a move that Mexico has continued to reject.
Apple’s Maps application, which comes pre-installed on iPhones, had not adopted the “Lake America” name as of Sunday morning.
Lake Ontario is the smallest of the five Great Lakes by surface area and sits along the border between Ontario province in Canada and New York State in the US.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also criticised the latest development while renewing his opposition to the ongoing trade dispute between Canada and the United States.
Ford warned that a prolonged trade war would hurt both countries, but argued that the impact could be particularly severe for the US because Canada is a major buyer of American vehicles.
“A tariff on Canada is nothing more than a tax on American people,” Ford said, describing the policy as “probably the worst move you could ever do”.
The US and Canada have deeply integrated automotive industries, with a significant portion of components used in American-made vehicles manufactured in Canada.
