Trump Signs Order to Rename Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America

WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 27: A map labeling Lake Ontario as “Lake America” is displayed as U.S. President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter after signing an executive order during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on August 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” amid an ongoing trade war between the U.S. and Canada. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Kathmandu: U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing federal agencies to change the official name of Lake Ontario—a major body of water situated between Canada and the United States—to “Lake America”.

Under the executive order, U.S. government maps, records, and geographic information systems are required to adopt the new name within 30 days. President Trump compared this decision to his previous executive action renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”.

However, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney firmly rejected the name change, stating that Canada will continue to recognize the body of water as Lake Ontario. He noted that the 400-year-old name originates from an Indigenous word meaning “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big”.

Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes shared jointly by the United States and Canada. While the U.S. government can alter geographical designations within its own official records, Canada and other foreign nations are under no obligation to recognize or adopt the change.

The announcement comes amid mounting economic and trade tensions between the two neighboring nations. The dispute has escalated sharply following the Trump administration’s decision to slap heavy tariffs on Canadian goods, prompting retaliatory measures from Ottawa.