<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/google/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google</a> updated its Maps application on August 30, 2026, in accordance with an <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/executive-orders/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">executive order</a> signed by President <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/donald-trump/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a> on August 27, 2026, that renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The executive order, titled “Honoring the American history of the Great Lakes and renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America,” directs Interior Secretary <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/doug-burgum/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Doug Burgum</a> to “take all appropriate actions” to rename the body of water located between the state of <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/new-york/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New York</a> and the Canadian province of Ontario. The order is binding only for the U.S. government, but private companies with mapping functions were expected to change the name for American users, similar to when Trump ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be referred to as the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/gulf-of-mexico/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gulf of America.</a></p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The executive order was signed amid ongoing trade tensions with <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/canada/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Canada</a> and a rhetorical dispute with Canadian Prime Minister <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/mark-carney/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mark Carney</a>. Negotiations between the U.S. and Canada collapsed on August 21, 2026, after the implementation of 50% tariffs signed into law by Trump in mid-July. Trump stated that “Canada has been ripping us off for a very long time on trade,” referencing U.S. military support as part of his justification for the order.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The executive order claims, “Without the security and investment provided by the United States, this freshwater system would not be open for shipping, recreation, and responsible use to the same extent as it is today. The United States Coast Guard supplies 9 of the 11 ice-breaking vessels on the Great Lakes, securing commercial shipping lanes free of charge. The United States has invested nearly $4 billion in protecting the Great Lakes freshwater ecosystem in the last decade, while Canada has invested far less in similar initiatives over the same period.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">On August 30, 2026, Trump further criticized Canada, asserting that his administration’s tariff policy has benefited the automobile industry in Detroit, Michigan, and suggested that Canadian companies “doing business with America” should relocate to the U.S. Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded to the renaming initiative, stating it is “something out of Saturday Night Live,” and emphasized that Canadians would continue to refer to the body of water as “Lake Ontario.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/4703532/trump-order-rename-lake-ontario-where-does-change-apply/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>TRUMP SIGNED AN ORDER TO RENAME LAKE ONTARIO TO LAKE AMERICA — WHAT TO KNOW</strong></a></p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Google stated that it was not legally required to implement the name change but did so “since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources.” It remains unclear whether Apple will make a similar update to its Maps application.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“These functions follow our long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country,” the statement added.</p>