The Associated Press published this story and InDepthNH.org is republishing it in collaboration with the AP Journalism Fund
By The Associated Press
President Donald Trump said Thursday he is renaming Lake Ontario to be known as “Lake America” in the U.S. as he exacerbates his trade war with Canada. The Republican president signed an executive order updating the lake’s name for the U.S. geographic naming service. Trump cannot, however, force Canada to follow his preferred naming convention.
The president has been floating the idea of the name change in recent days as the U.S. announced it was imposing 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods over the weekend after talks between the countries broke down. Canada struck back on Tuesday, slapping retaliatory tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, from industrial products to everyday purchases.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected Trump’s move to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” invoking the lake’s Indigenous roots while pointedly casting the episode as part of a transformation of the United States under Trump.
In a social media post, Carney noted that Lake Ontario takes its name from the Wendat word “Ontari’io,” meaning “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big,” and said the name predates both the Canadian Confederation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
“We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms,” Carney said.
“Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always.”
Canadian historian Robert Bothwell says Trump’s move to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” should be met with ridicule.
“People should be standing around the capital laughing themselves sick,” Bothwell said. “Everybody knows the Gulf of America is a joke, and this is a joke in an awful way.”
Bothwell says the renaming fits what he sees as Trump’s broader effort to subordinate Canada and said it makes a negotiated settlement between the two countries “next to impossible.”
He also warned that if Apple or Google adopt “Lake America” on their maps, it could provoke a backlash in Canada.
“It’s an insult,” Bothwell said, adding that Canadians could respond with boycotts that might grow into a broader political movement.
Canada is bolstering its defense industry as US relations fray.
The Canadian government is investing an additional $60 billion over the next five years to reduce its dependence on American suppliers, a shift due to Trump’s pressure to contribute more to NATO as well as strained trade relations with Washington.
Canada aims to boost domestic defense capabilities and create jobs while developing innovative technologies for military and civilian use, like drones and robotics. Clothing maker Wuxly, known for luxury parkas, is joining in, making high-tech military gear.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s vow to strengthen Canadian economic self-sufficiency is a boon for Canadian startups and established companies, as well as firms in Europe.