Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America
US President Donald Trump signs an executive order seeking to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America amid collapsing trade talks and tariffs.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- US President Donald Trump signs an executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America.
- The move follows the collapse of US-Canada trade talks and new 50% US tariffs.
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney strongly rejects the unilateral name change.
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order seeking to change the name of Lake Ontario, a major body of water bordering both the United States and Canada, to "Lake America". Trump stated that the renaming of the shared lake is effective immediately, though his broad discretion applies strictly to how the United States recognizes domestic landmarks, leaving other nations under no obligation to follow suit.
This controversial move follows a sharp downturn in diplomatic and trade relations between Washington and Ottawa after trade negotiations collapsed last week. In response, the US imposed a steep 50% tariff on $20bn (C$28bn) worth of Canadian goods, prompting Canada to vow dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs slated to take effect next month.
Unilateral renaming of shared cross-border landmarks is a familiar symbolic tactic in high-stakes geopolitical disputes. A similar executive order was signed by Trump in 2025 targeting the Gulf of Mexico, which triggered international pushback from Mexico and subsequent digital mapping disputes.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney swiftly dismissed the decree, declaring that things must be called by their proper names. He emphasized that the lake has been known as Lake Ontario for more than 400 years, predating both the formation of the Canadian Confederation and the US Declaration of Independence.
"Things must be called by their name, and this lake is called Lake Ontario - today and forever."
Mark Carney, Canadian Prime Minister
The executive order directs the US Department of the Interior to update the name change within 30 days through the Geographic Names Information Service, the official repository for domestic geographic nomenclature in the United States. Despite domestic implementation, no universally recognized international governing body holds the authority to mandate names for international waters.
Reaction among US politicians was mixed. Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul, representing the only US state sharing a border with Lake Ontario, stated firmly that her state would refuse to adopt the Lake America designation, reminding the public that the Great Lakes are shared treasures protected by generations of Americans and Canadians.
Source: BBC World
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment