Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has formally rejected US President Donald Trump’s directive to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America." Amid escalating trade tensions between the two nations, Carney affirmed that Canadians would continue to use the lake's traditional name, which has been established for over 400 years.
Addressing the issue on X on Thursday, Carney explained that the name "Lake Ontario" is derived from the Wendat word "Ontari'io," which translates to "the lake is beautiful, the lake is big." He emphasized that the name predates both the Declaration of Independence of the United States and the Confederation of Canada. "We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms. Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always," Carney stated.
The Prime Minister's response followed an executive order signed by President Trump in the Oval Office, in which he declared that the renaming of the lake would take effect immediately. Trump’s move occurred against a backdrop of deteriorating diplomatic relations, which worsened after the collapse of trade negotiations and the subsequent imposition of new tariffs by Washington on Canadian goods, prompting quick retaliation from Ottawa.
Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes of North America, serves as a geographic border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of New York.
