Trump Renames Lake Ontario Lake America Amid Trade War

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 27, 2026, officially renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America for all U.S. federal purposes. The directive requires the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to update official maps and databases within 30 days. Trump justified the move as a way to honor American history and the contributions of the American people, while linking it to a deteriorating trade relationship with Canada.

The renaming follows the collapse of bilateral trade negotiations on August 21, which led the U.S. to impose 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion of Canadian goods. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney implemented retaliatory tariffs and vowed to match U.S. duties dollar for dollar. Trump further escalated tensions by threatening tariffs on Canadian automobiles and suggesting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans could also be renamed.

Canadian officials and Indigenous leaders have overwhelmingly rejected the order. Prime Minister Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford asserted that the lake's name predates both nations and originates from the Wendat word Ontari’io. Ford installed several billboards and signs across Ontario reading Lake Ontario Now and Always to protest the move. Indigenous leaders, including Grand Chief Pierre Picard and Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca, condemned the order as an attempt to erase Indigenous history and a violation of historical treaties.

Opposition also emerged within the U.S. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Vermont Governor Phil Scott announced their states would not adopt the new name. While Google updated its Maps application to show Lake America for users in the U.S., MapQuest refused the change. Representative Debbie Dingell introduced legislation to block the executive order.