U.S. President Donald Trump has made a request to Apple to change the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" on its Maps application. This request was communicated by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum during an appearance on Fox's "Mornings with Maria" program on Monday. The move comes shortly after Trump signed an executive order highlighting the strategic importance of Lake Ontario amid his escalating trade conflict with Canada.
Burgum stated that Trump had reached out directly to Apple regarding the renaming initiative, expressing confidence that the new name, "Lake America," would soon be visible on the platform. Despite this request, Apple did not offer immediate comment on the matter.
Lake Ontario, which has historically been recognized by that name, is situated between the U.S. state of New York and Canada’s Ontario province. In a similar vein, Google Maps has already adapted to this new naming convention for users within the United States. The company announced over the weekend that users in the U.S. would now see "Lake America," while Canadian users would continue to see "Lake Ontario." Additionally, users outside of the U.S. and Canada would see both names displayed. Google's decision was based on its established practice of adhering to names sanctioned by the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
This rebranding of the lake reflects the heightened tensions resulting from Trump's trade war with Canada, which has involved increasing tariffs on products traded across the border. Trump's recent executive order instructed the Interior Department to facilitate the update of the lake's name within the U.S. geographic naming service. However, the effectiveness of this renaming is limited, as it cannot compel Canada to adopt the new designation.
The proposal has faced immediate backlash from Canada's leaders, who criticized the idea. In particular, the leader of the Seneca Nation, located in upstate New York, has pointed out that such a renaming effort disregards a treaty that has been in place for over 225 years. Critics argue that this move shows a "blatant disrespect" towards Indigenous peoples, who were responsible for naming Lake Ontario in the first place.
This incident is not the first time Trump has sought to rename geographic features that span international boundaries. In 2022, he proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, a request that eventually led Apple and Google to implement the change on their maps within the United States.
The ongoing developments around Lake Ontario and its proposed renaming signify the intersection of national identity and geographic nomenclature amid trade disputes, reflecting a broader narrative of how such issues can evoke strong responses from various stakeholders.
