Trump Declares Lake Ontario Will Be Known as ‘Lake America’ Amid U.S.–Canada Trade Spat

President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in the United States, directing the Interior Department to update the lake’s name in the U.S. geographic naming service. The change does not bind Canada, but it reflects Trump’s broader effort to assert American identity on shared geography. The order was signed at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, where a large map behind him displayed the new name in bold red letters.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney pushed back, citing the lake’s Indigenous heritage. “We know that America is changing… Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always,” Carney posted on X. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston dismissed the rename as “foolishness… It’s Lake Ontario, buddy.” Ontario Premier Doug Ford characterized the move as “a lot of rhetoric.”

The renaming follows an escalation in U.S.–Canada trade tensions. The United States announced a 50% tariff on $20 billion of Canadian goods after negotiations collapsed, prompting Canada to impose reciprocal tariffs on $20 billion of American products, including steel, dairy, appliances and farm equipment.

Trump framed the executive action as a response to what he described as Canada “ripping us off” on trade and security. “They wanted to be treated like a state and they’re not a state… We just can’t do that anymore,” he said. He added, “We love the people of Canada… I don’t think their representatives do an appropriate job.”

The order directs the Interior Department to update the lake’s name in federal databases within 30 days. Trump previously renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” and has hinted that the Atlantic and Pacific oceans could be next.

Indigenous groups note that “Lake Ontario” derives from the Huron word “oniatarí:io,” meaning “lake of shining waters,” and that the province of Ontario takes its name from the waterway. The United Nations and other international bodies do not regulate national geographic names, leaving the U.S. wide discretion in such designations.

The executive action reflects a broader pattern of renaming geographic features that U.S. presidents have used to emphasize national identity. (FRANCE 24 with AP)

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