(WWJ) Following through on a social media threat made earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. Department of the Interior to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" as the trade dispute between the U.S. and Canada continues to escalate.
"We've notified all the various people that you need to notify," Trump said, while signing the order in the Oval Office on Thursday. "This is official, effective immediately."
The official directive comes days after Trump posted on Truth Social that the U.S. was giving "serious consideration" to the change, writing that "we don't expect to (be) doing much business with Ontario any longer".
The move is reminiscent of an executive order Trump issued last year directing federal agencies to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America."
Trump brought that up in the Oval Office on Thursday, telling reporters, "So, if you think about it, we have a gulf and we have a lake. Now, all we need is an ocean. So maybe we'll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we'll change them."
When reporters asked him in the Oval Office why he was doing this and whether it was meant to send a message to Canada, Trump gave his reasoning and aired broader grievances with the country, Trump said, "No message. As you know, Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade, very sadly. Even the military — you know, we defend Canada for nothing, we don't get anything. They're not a state, but they want to be treated like they're a state. And so we just can't do that anymore."
Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the Great Lakes, straddles the border between New York and the Canadian province of Ontario. While it is the smallest of the five Great Lakes by surface area, its shores are home to major population centers, including Toronto and Rochester.
The decision has struck a chord with some Michigan residents, including Lisa from Birmingham, who expressed confusion over the idea.
"That's crazy!" she said. "Because that's one of the five Great Lakes! So, is he going to change the other four? ...Lake America? Why? What's the reasoning?"
Oak Park resident Linda was similarly critical.
"Absolutely not!" she told WWJ Newsradio 950's Charlie Langton. "Reason is I'm from the Texas/Louisiana area, and he renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, and I just can't get used to it."
Geographically and historically, the lake was not named after the Canadian province. Its name derives from the Huron Indigenous word “oniatarí:io,” meaning “lake of shining waters,” which predates European settlement in the region. The province of Ontario took its name from the lake when it was founded in 1867.
What does the order actually do?
While a U.S. president can direct domestic agencies to update maps, databases, and federal terminology, the White House cannot unilaterally force Canada or international charting bodies to adopt the change.
In practice, the executive order binds U.S. federal agency usage, creating a dual-naming scenario rather than a global replacement. When the administration took similar action with the Gulf of Mexico, some private platforms — including Google Maps — and certain U.S. media outlets voluntarily adopted the federal nomenclature for domestic users. Canadian authorities and international entities are expected to continue using "Lake Ontario."
The order comes amid severe economic friction between the two neighbors. The Trump administration recently enacted 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian imports after bilateral negotiations broke down. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs on American goods. Trump has also threatened to raise tariffs on all imported cars, trucks, auto parts, and steel.
Trump said Thursday, "The Canadian officials have treated us very badly — they're nasty people... We love the people of Canada. I don't think their representatives do an appropriate job. Maybe they'll change, I really don't know."
