Controversy Surrounds Google’s Renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake America
Google Maps recently faced widespread criticism after altering the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” within the United States. This decision drew backlash from users, leading to negative reviews on Trustpilot and Google Maps’ review pages, as well as comments on a 9to5Google report. Many voiced dissatisfaction, accusing Google of representing inaccurate information and yielding to political pressures associated with President Donald Trump.
After the Trump administration recorded the name in federal records, U.S. users began seeing the “Lake America” designation. In contrast, Canadian users continued to see “Lake Ontario,” while users in other areas viewed both names. Google stated that this update follows its protocol of utilizing names provided by official government sources.
Response from Users and Competitors
There was severe backlash from users. A Trustpilot reviewer from the U.S., Dennis Joslyn, remarked, “Lake America does not exist. The correct name of the lake is Lake Ontario.” Another user, Susan Buchan, expressed disappointment on the Google Maps Help webpage, criticizing the change and stating plans to desert Google’s products.
This discontent with Google drove some users to opt for alternatives. MapQuest, an American navigation platform known for not adopting the Lake America name, saw a surge in downloads. It climbed to number 4 among free apps on Apple’s U.S. App Store and reached the number one position in Canada, with usage climbing fiftyfold, as reported by Business Insider.
President Trump urged Apple to make the same change as Google Maps, confirmed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. At that point, Apple Maps continued displaying “Lake Ontario.” Newsweek reached out to Google for comments.
Official Reactions to the Name Change
On August 27, Trump issued an executive order instructing the Interior Department and U.S. Board on Geographic Names to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America” in federal records. Federal agencies were directed to incorporate the new designation in maps and communications, reflecting its importance to U.S. commerce, defense, and energy production. The order highlighted the United States’ contributions to the Great Lakes and occurred amid trade disagreements with Canada.
Despite federal guidelines, private mapping firms, including Google, were not compelled to adapt to the new name but did so after the federal database reflected the change. Apple remains silent, although it previously followed a similar approach with the Gulf of America renaming.
MapQuest opposed the change, affirming on social media they would continue using Lake Ontario, differentiating between federal policies and corporate decisions. This stand resonated with many users who disagreed with adopting Lake America as the official name.
Canadian and Indigenous Reactions
Canada rejected Trump’s renaming attempt, emphasizing that a U.S. executive order has no bearing on the nomenclature of a lake shared by two nations. Prime Minister Mark Carney insisted on keeping the four-century-old name, stating it predates Canada’s Confederation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Ontario Premier Doug Ford echoed this sentiment, unveiling a sign declaring, “Lake Ontario—Now and Always.” Even opposition leaders like Pierre Poilievre stood firm against the change.
Indigenous leaders also voiced objections. Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca called for the order’s reversal, arguing the change attempts to erase Indigenous history and culture. He stressed that the President cannot claim ownership over Indigenous heritage.
The name “Lake Ontario” is of Indigenous origin, derived from a Huron word meaning “lake of shining waters,” and linked to a Wendat term “Ontari’io,” denoting “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big.” The related province also derived its name from this historic lake.