Why Google Maps now calls Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’ in the US

Google Maps is changing how it labels Lake Ontario after the US President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming the Great Lake “Lake America” in the United States.

Google said users in the US will see “Lake America”, while people in Canada will continue to see Lake Ontario.

Users elsewhere will see Lake Ontario with Lake America listed in parentheses.

The company said the change follows an update to the US Geographic Names Information System.

“These updates follow our long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country, and are starting to roll out now,” Google said.

University of Victoria geography professor Reuben Rose-Redwood told Global News that major mapping companies generally follow official federal geographic names.

Trump ordered the name change days after Canada-US trade negotiations collapsed, although he denied the move was intended to send a message to Canada.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has strongly rejected the new name.

“President Trump can call it whatever he wants, but I can tell you the rest of the world will always call it Lake Ontario,” Ford told reporters.

Apple Maps had not adopted the change as of Sunday afternoon, while MapQuest has said it will continue using Lake Ontario.