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Lake Ontario renamed ‘Lake America’ by Trump
Published : Friday, 28 August, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Observer Online Report
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’, amid growing tensions with Canada over tariffs.
Trump made the announcement at the Oval Office on Thursday, with maps of the Great Lakes displayed behind him. One of the maps already showed the name ‘Lake America’ in place of Lake Ontario.
Trump said he had been thinking about the new name for a long time. He joked that the US now had a gulf and a lake named after America and might next rename the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.
Under the order, US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the Board on Geographic Names have 30 days to complete the renaming process. Federal maps, documents, agreements and official communications will also be updated.
The US Geological Survey has already adopted ‘Lake America’ in its official electronic records and plans to update printed documents within days.
However, the US cannot impose the new name on Canada. Ottawa can continue to use ‘Lake Ontario’ in its official documents and communications.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the move, saying the name Lake Ontario had been used for more than four centuries, before both Canada and the US were established.
“Canada will always call this body of water Lake Ontario,” Carney said in a post on X.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also rejected the decision, saying Canadians and people around the world know it as Lake Ontario.
The move comes as trade relations between Washington and Ottawa have deteriorated. Trump has announced tariffs of up to 50 per cent on some Canadian products, while Canada has also threatened higher tariffs on US goods.
The latest move follows Trump’s earlier decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico the ‘Gulf of America’. Mexico rejected that decision, while Google Maps later displayed both names depending on users’ locations.
Lake Ontario lies between Ontario province in Canada and New York state in the US. In the executive order, Trump described the lake as an important US asset and part of the country’s national heritage.
Trade talks between the two countries are currently suspended. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said there are no active negotiations with Canadian Trade Representative Dominic LeBlanc, although communication between the two officials continues.
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
