President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” turning a long-standing geographic name into the latest flashpoint in the increasingly tense relationship between the United States and Canada. Trump signed the order on August 27, saying the new name would take effect immediately. The action comes as a trade dispute with Canada escalates and after Trump’s earlier suggestion that the United States was looking at changing the name of the Great Lake.
But can Trump really rename all of Lake Ontario? The short answer is ‘no’. Although this is not expected to matter to most Americans, it could add to long-standing perceptions that Trump is more concerned about the symbolic or trivial than the issues voters care most about, including the rising cost of living and lower prices.
The executive order gives the U.S. government the authority to change the name used by federal agencies and official U.S. geographic databases. The order directs the Interior Department and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to take steps within 30 days to rename the body of water “Lake America” in the federal Geographic Names Information System. The new designation also is expected to be used in federal maps, documents and communications.
Lake Ontario is shared by the United States and Canada. About 52% of the lake’s surface is on the Canadian side and the rest borders New York. Canadian officials have already rejected the new name, saying there is no requirement for Ottawa to replace the historic one. The name “Ontario” also serves as a reminder of a Native presence that existed before the formation of both the United States and Canada, and it provides students and the wider communities an important connection to the deeper history of North America.
The lake’s name predates modern Canada and the United States, said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford dismissed the change, saying it would still be Lake Ontario for Canadians and much of the rest of the world. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also has said New York will not adopt the new name.
There is also a deeper historical aspect to the dispute. Wendat Nation Grand Chief Pierre Picard blasted Trump’s move, saying the name change “erases an important part of the history of the region.” Trump had been doing well earlier in his term, but actions like this risk reinforcing the impression that he is concerned not only with political trifles but also with changes that many Americans decidedly do not want.
Trump’s action comes after he renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for U.S. federal purposes. This precedent shows the limits of the president’s naming power: The administration can dictate how the U.S. government will refer to a geographic feature, but it cannot force foreign governments, international organizations or private entities to use the same terminology.
Trump also has hinted that other geographic name changes might be possible. Speaking after signing the order he said the Atlantic and Pacific oceans could be renamed one day. The comments have added fuel to the debate over the proposed change to Lake Ontario, raising new questions about the limits of a president’s power over geographic names.
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Now, he’s putting a spotlight on the latter with a move that many Americans thought was misguided when he tried it the first time. The latest effort is arguably even more absurd considering that Lake Ontario is shared by the United States and Canada, meaning Washington cannot unilaterally compel Canadian officials, residents or international organizations to use a new name.
But for the moment, the simple fact remains: Trump can declare “Lake America” the official name of the United States, but he can’t, with a single executive order, remove “Lake Ontario” from Canadian maps, international use or history that predates the founding of the United States. The name could change in Washington. In the other direction, Lake Ontario will likely continue to be called what Canadians have always called it.