Trump Renames Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' in Trade War Escalation
President Trump has ordered the federal government to call Lake Ontario 'Lake America,' a move that has angered Canadian leaders and Indigenous groups.
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as "Lake America," a provocative move that intensifies the ongoing trade dispute with Canada. The order, announced on Thursday, applies to official federal usage within the United States and does not compel Canada, international bodies, or other organizations to adopt the new name.
The decision was met with immediate and widespread condemnation. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that the lake's name predates both nations and declared it will remain Lake Ontario "then, now and always." New York's Democratic governor also confirmed the state would not recognize the change. The lake is shared between Canada and New York, with about 52% of its surface area in Canadian waters under a 1909 treaty.
Grand Chief Pierre Picard of the Wendat Nation, from which the name originates, expressed outrage, calling the move an attempt to "erase our history." The name 'Ontario' comes from the Wendat language and means 'the lake is beautiful, great.' Republican Governor Phil Scott of Vermont also criticized the decision as "petty and disappointing."
The renaming comes after trade talks between the US and Canada collapsed last week, with each side blaming the other. The dispute has already led to tariffs on tens of billions of dollars in cross-border trade. Trump has also suggested he might consider renaming the Atlantic or Pacific oceans.
This is not the first such action by the president. In January 2025, he ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the Gulf of America, a change that was quickly implemented in federal databases. Trump has also sought to attach his name to various buildings and programs. The latest move is seen as unlikely to ease tensions, as many Canadians view it as unnecessarily provocative.