Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America" in U.S. records
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President Donald Trump signed an executive order changing the U.S. geographic name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America," a move coinciding with new tariffs on Canadian imports.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that updates the United States geographic naming service to list Lake Ontario as "Lake America" for U.S. purposes. The change applies only within the United States and does not affect the lake's name in Canada. The order was signed in the Oval Office, where a map displayed the new name in large red letters over the lake.
The renaming follows recent U.S. actions imposing a 50% tariff on $20 billion of Canadian goods after trade talks stalled, and Canada’s reciprocal tariffs on an equal value of American products. Trump told reporters that Canada is "the worst" to deal with on trade, adding that the name change is effective immediately.
The lake, which forms part of the U.S.-Canada border and borders New York State and the province of Ontario, retains its historic name derived from the Huron word meaning "lake of shining waters." The International Hydrographic Organization, of which both countries are members, does not set names for shared inland waters.
Trump previously renamed the Gulf of Mexico as "Gulf of America" and hinted that further name changes to other bodies of water could be considered.