Google Maps renames Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’ for users in US but not in Canada

Tech giant Google has updated its maps to display Lake Ontario as "Lake America" to American users, after President Donald Trump announced the renaming of the body of water. The decision has reignited tensions with Canada, a historic ally now embroiled in a trade dispute with Washington.

A change visible only to Americans

Google explained that users in the United States will see "Lake America" on their devices, while Canadians will continue to see "Lake Ontario." Users outside both countries will see both names, the company detailed on its blog.

The company justified the change by aligning with the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), the official federal database for geographic names. "Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is GNIS for the U.S., people using Maps in the U.S. will see 'Lake America,'" Google noted.

In contrast, Apple's maps app—which comes pre-installed on all iPhones—did not list "Lake America" on its maps until Sunday morning.

Canada’s response

Ontario Premier Doug Ford harshly criticized both the trade dispute and the lake's name change on Sunday. "It was like something out of 'Saturday Night Live' when he signed documents saying change to Lake America. No one's going to call it Lake of America," Ford told ABC's "This Week." "It's just so, so disappointing."

Trump himself weighed in on Sunday to assert that Americans "want to make our own cars." "Canada has been ripping us off for years — NO LONGER!" the president posted on his Truth Social platform.