U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for official U.S. federal use, escalating an already tense relationship with Canada amid a deepening trade dispute between the two countries.
Trump announced the change Thursday at the White House, saying the new name would take effect immediately. The executive order directs the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to update federal geographic records and references to reflect the new designation.
The decision applies to U.S. federal usage and does not give Washington the authority to require Canada or international organizations to adopt the new name. Lake Ontario is a shared body of water bordering New York and the Canadian province of Ontario.
The renaming comes as Canada-U.S. trade relations deteriorate following the collapse of recent negotiations. Washington has imposed steep tariffs on Canadian goods, while Ottawa has announced retaliatory measures in response.
Trump has linked his criticism of Canada to trade and defense issues, although he described the renaming itself as having no particular message for Ottawa. The move nevertheless adds a highly symbolic element to the dispute between the two longtime allies.
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes and plays an important role in shipping, transportation, tourism and freshwater resources. More than half of its surface area is in Canadian territory under a longstanding U.S.-Canada treaty framework.
The move follows Trump’s earlier effort to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” another geographic naming decision that generated controversy beyond the United States.
Canadian officials have not indicated that they will adopt the new name, meaning the body of water is likely to continue being known as Lake Ontario in Canada.
The executive order is the latest development in the increasingly strained relationship between Washington and Ottawa, with trade negotiations, tariffs and broader diplomatic tensions continuing to dominate relations between the two countries.
Swifteradio.com
