How Doug Ford Is Leading Charge Against ‘Lake America’

Key Facts

Ford, who has not shied away from publicly clashing with Trump on a host of issues, mocked the decision on Saturday by unveiling a large sign along the lake’s shore in Grimbsy, Ontario, that read: “Lake Ontario. Now and Always.”

In a video showing off the sign on social media, Ford said Trump’s attempt to rename the lake was “all because he doesn’t like Ontario and Canada standing up for itself.”

Ford said the water was called Lake Ontario “long before” Trump and will continue to be called that, but the sign has been put up “just in case” the president or anyone else “forgets.”

The Ontario premier doubled down in his Sunday interview with ABC News to discuss Trump’s latest tariffs and said Trump’s signing of an executive order to rename Lake Ontario “was like something out of Saturday Night Live.”

Ford added, “no one is going to call it” Lake America, noting it’s been Lake Ontario for hundreds of years, labeling the controversy “disappointing.”

What About The Google Maps Change?

Google Maps began displaying the name “Lake America” instead of “Lake Ontario” for users in the U.S. over the weekend. The tech giant noted this change aligns with its standard policy of relying on the names of geographical features from official government sources, such as the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). And in keeping with its approach on disputed names, the map will display Lake Ontario in Canada and show both names to users outside the two countries.

What Has Ford Said About The Google Change?

After Google implemented the change, some Canadian users noticed Lake America appeared on various online maps, including Hydro One’s outage map. The company acknowledged Lake Ontario was being “incorrectly labeled” and said the issue originates from a “third-party mapping service,” likely a reference to Google. On Sunday night, Ford reposted a tweet from Ontario’s Minister for Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Stephen Crawford, which noted some Ontario government agency websites are pulling map data from Google’s service. Crawford added that, following Google’s recent changes, the Ontario government is “actively reviewing” its websites to see whether the water body is named Lake Ontario. While reposting the tweet, Ford noted: “Make no mistake: Lake Ontario is and always will be Lake Ontario.”

Tangent

While Ford was the most vocal in taking on Trump on this matter, other public figures also mocked the name change. While performing a concert in Toronto on Saturday, heavy metal band Iron Maiden’s lead singer Bruce Dickinson told the crowd: “Hello, Canada. Oh my God. It’s been traumatic. We got here. We crossed the Lake of Ontario,” in an apparent reference to the name change. The quip drew a loud cheer from the audience. Canadian rock band Blue Rodeo also brought up the issue during a concert, displaying a map of Lake Ontario as a backdrop. During their performance of the song “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet,” the crowd joined the band to sing along to the line “Out in the middle of Lake Ontario.” The band posted several clips of the crowd singing along on their Instagram stories and wrote: “Fans in Toronto know what to call our lake.”

further reading

Google Maps Now Displays ‘Lake America’ After Trump’s Executive Order Amid U.S.-Canada Trade War (Forbes)