Trump orders Lake Ontario renamed ‘Lake America’ for U.S. federal use

Abi Sarabia M., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
August 28, 2026

Photo courtesy: Rapid Response 47 X Account

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in official U.S. usage, a move that comes amid escalating trade tensions with Canada.

The order instructs the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Board on Geographic Names to update federal records, maps and documents to reflect the new name. The change applies to U.S. federal usage and does not require Canada to adopt it.

Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes and forms part of the international boundary between the United States and Canada, with New York on its southern and eastern shores and Ontario province to the north and west.

Trump announced the change while displaying a map in the Oval Office, saying the lake would now be called “Lake America.” The move follows his administration’s earlier renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for U.S. federal use.

Canadian officials rejected the change and said they would continue calling the body of water Lake Ontario.

Canada’s Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said the country would “always” use the Lake Ontario name, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford also dismissed the move and said Canadians would continue using the existing name.

The renaming comes as U.S.-Canada relations remain strained by a widening trade dispute. Trump recently imposed 50% tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Canadian goods, prompting Canada to announce retaliatory tariffs on hundreds of U.S. products.

The executive order gives the Interior Department 30 days to take the necessary steps to update the U.S. Geographic Names Information System and other federal references.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in official U.S. usage, a move that comes amid escalating trade tensions with Canada.