President Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as "Lake America," applying the change to U.S. federal usage but not governing what Canada, international bodies or other organizations call the lake, which spans about 52% Canadian surface area. The order follows his January 2025 renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the move on social media, saying the name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontari'io meaning "the lake is beautiful, the lake is big" and predates both Canada and the United States as nations. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, also said they would not adopt the new name.
Grand Chief Pierre Picard of the Wendat Nation in Quebec condemned the change, saying Trump is "trying to erase our history." Trump told reporters he has considered similarly renaming the Atlantic or Pacific, telling the Oval Office, "now all we need is an ocean."
The dispute comes after U.S.-Canada trade talks collapsed last week, with each side blaming the other for derailing three days of negotiations. Trump is facing the lowest public approval of his term while contending with both the trade war with Ottawa and the U.S. and Israel war against Iran that began six months ago.