U.S President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to officially rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” The order directs the federal government to adopt the name change “effective immediately.”
Escalating trade war
The symbolic move comes as trade relations between the U.S. and Canada rapidly deteriorate. Explaining his reasoning, President Trump said, “Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade.”
He added, “We don’t expect to be doing much business with Ontario any longer.”
Scope of the change
While the U.S. government must now use the new title on official federal maps and documents, the directive does not force Canada to change how it labels the shared Great Lake.
International waters do not have single governing body for naming rights, meaning Canada will continue to recognize the historical name.
Reaction to the order
Canadian officials have largely brushed off the measures. Ontario Premier Doug Ford previously called the move “a lot of rhetoric” amid the economic friction.
Meanwhile, local residents pointed out that the original name comes from the Huron Indigenous word oniatari:io, meaning “lake of shining waters,” which predates both nations.
