Canadian websites are scrambling to adapt after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the renaming of Lake Ontario to "Lake America," according to a report from Frankfurter Rundschau. The decree has created confusion for Canadian online platforms that must now decide how to reference the body of water.
Google Maps has already implemented the change, displaying "Lake America" instead of "Lake Ontario" for users, as reported by BILD and DIE ZEIT. The update follows Trump's directive, which he also pushed Apple to adopt, according to WELT. The German outlet quoted Trump as saying he is "sure that we will soon see change" regarding Apple's compliance.
The renaming stems from an ongoing trade dispute between the U.S. and Canada, DIE ZEIT reports. The move appears to be part of a broader political pressure campaign rather than a purely administrative decision.
For Canadian websites, the issue is practical: they must determine whether to follow the U.S. naming convention, retain the traditional name, or offer both versions to avoid confusion. Frankfurter Rundschau notes that the rapid implementation by major platforms like Google Maps has intensified the pressure on smaller Canadian operators to make a choice.
The speed of the change has been notable, with BILD observing that the new name appeared on mapping services quickly after the decree was issued.
What to watch next: Whether Apple will follow Google's lead and update its own mapping services, and how Canadian government websites will respond to the naming conflict.
