POLITICS
US Renames Lake Ontario to Lake America Amid Trade Tensions
The US Geological Survey officially rebranded Lake Ontario following an Oval Office Sharpie session, escalating trade tensions with Canada.
The GuardianThe US Geological Survey officially changed Lake Ontario to Lake America in its Geographic Names Information System following an executive order from Donald Trump. The move, announced initially via TikTok and finalized with a polished map in the Oval Office, comes amid ongoing trade tensions between the US and Canada. Canadian officials and Indigenous leaders have noted that the name Ontario predates both nations.
- The US Geological Survey updated its Geographic Names Information System on Thursday to reflect the new name, Lake America.
- The executive order follows a TikTok video where Trump hand-altered a map with a black Sharpie.
- Mark Carney pointed out that Ontario is an indigenous name predating both the US and Canada.
- The White House presentation echoed a 2019 incident where Trump used a Sharpie to alter a National Weather Service map regarding Hurricane Dorian's path over Alabama.
WHY THIS MATTERSWhile a literal lake renaming doesn't directly hit your checking account today, it signals escalating economic friction with Canada—a major trading partner—at a time when cross-border tariffs and trade policy directly influence consumer prices.