U.S. President Donald Trump has officially renamed Lake Ontario as “Lake America” through an executive order, intensifying tensions with Canada amid an ongoing trade war. The directive, signed on Thursday, applies to federal usage within the United States but does not compel Canada or international bodies to adopt the new name. The move has drawn swift rebukes from Canadian leaders and New York officials, who vow to continue using the historic name.
The executive order, signed in the Oval Office, marks the latest salvo in a bitter dispute that has already seen tariffs imposed on tens of billions of dollars in cross-border trade. Trump told reporters, “We’re going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario effective immediately to Lake America. The lake change, the Lake of America, was something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, actually.” The announcement came as trade talks between the U.S. and Canada collapsed last week, with each side blaming the other for the breakdown.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded sharply on social media, noting that the lake’s name predates both nations. “We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms,” Carney wrote. “Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always.” New York Governor Kathy Hochul echoed that sentiment, stating plainly, “New York won’t be calling it that.” About 52% of Lake Ontario’s surface area lies within Canadian waters, with the rest bordering New York.
The renaming has also drawn criticism from Republican Governor Phil Scott of Vermont, who called the decision “petty and disappointing.” Indigenous leaders have expressed outrage, with Grand Chief Pierre Picard of the Wendat Nation, whose language gave the lake its name, condemning the change as an attempt to erase history. “President Donald Trump is trying to erase our history,” Picard said. “Outraged, appalled, shocked: there are no other words to express how I feel following President Trump’s decision to rename Lake Ontario ‘Lake America.’”
The move is part of a broader pattern of provocative rhetoric from Trump, who has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state. Analysts say the renaming is unlikely to facilitate future trade negotiations, as most Canadians view it as unnecessarily insulting. Carney has indicated that talks stalled over issues such as French-language protections, tariff relief for certain trucks, and demands to restrict Canada’s trade independence.
Trump also hinted at further renaming efforts, telling reporters, “We have a gulf and we have a lake, now all we need is an ocean, so maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.” However, no formal proposal for ocean renaming has been announced. The Lake America executive order does not change the lake’s name for international use, and Canada’s government has stated it will continue to recognize the water body as Lake Ontario.
This latest episode underscores the fragility of U.S.-Canada relations, which have been strained by tariffs and trade disputes. As the two nations seek to resolve their differences, the symbolic renaming of a shared natural landmark adds a new layer of friction. For now, the lake’s name remains contested, with federal usage in the U.S. shifting to “Lake America” while Canadian and other international references retain the original.
Source: ARY News