Some Canadian websites, including those of the federal government, showcased maps featuring Lake Ontario labeled as Lake America on Sunday. This adjustment followed Google Maps’ announcement of the change to comply with a directive from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Google indicated in a post on its corporate website on Saturday that it implemented the modification because the U.S. government’s geographic names database officially renamed the lake. Though Google mentioned the alteration would impact only U.S. users, several Ontario and Canadian websites were observed displaying Lake America on their maps.
Entities such as Hydro One’s outage map, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) store locator, GO Transit’s station finder, and the federal government’s housing and infrastructure map were among those affected. Hydro One acknowledged the error, attributing it to a third-party mapping service and expressed regret for the mistake.
Metrolinx, the Ontario government agency overseeing GO Transit, confirmed awareness of the issue and stated efforts were underway to ensure the accurate identification of Lake Ontario on their websites. By Sunday afternoon, corrective actions had been taken, with the GO Transit map disabled and the LCBO map restored to display Lake Ontario.
Contrary to Google’s adjustment, MapQuest, a U.S.-based online mapping service, declared its intent to retain the lake’s original name. Apple has not publicly addressed the matter yet.
A statement by Google on Sunday evening clarified that website developers embedding Google Maps can designate a region to localize the map, thereby determining the presentation of place names. When set to Canada, the maps should display “Lake Ontario” accordingly.
Tech analyst Carmi Levy highlighted that Canadian websites like Hydro One and the LCBO likely utilize Google’s application programming interface (API) to power their maps. APIs lack location awareness, leading to the default switch to Lake America on maps powered by Google API.
Levy emphasized the relatively simple fix recommended by Google for developers to localize their maps by selecting Canada as the region in the backend. However, until all developers adopt this approach, inconsistencies may persist in map displays.
Google Maps tailors results based on the user’s location, ensuring that within Canada, Lake Ontario remains visible, even if “Lake America” is inputted. Global search index updates by Google now enable the “Lake America” name to be searchable worldwide, with Lake Ontario displayed as the primary name and Lake America in brackets outside North America.
The name alteration underscores the impact of Canada’s reliance on American tech companies due to the absence of a domestic mapping alternative. Ontario’s Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, Stephen Crawford, acknowledged the issue, affirming active reviews of provincial websites to ensure accurate identification of Lake Ontario.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized the name change, asserting that Lake Ontario’s historical name would endure despite Trump’s executive order. Ford unveiled a sign in Winona, Ont., reaffirming the lake’s identity as “Lake Ontario Now and Always.”
In response to the renaming controversy, Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized the enduring recognition of Lake Ontario by its original name, reiterating its historical significance. Lake Ontario, situated between Ontario and New York, is one of the five Great Lakes and lends its name to the Canadian province.
Amid the escalating tensions between Canada and the U.S. following collapsed trade talks, both nations have accused each other of last-minute changes to proposed trade deals. Canada unveiled retaliatory measures against new U.S. tariffs, set to take effect on September 8.
Ford’s appearance on American TV reflected a softer stance on the trade war, emphasizing the need to return focus to mutual trade benefits. Trump’s executive order to rename Lake Ontario mirrors a past order to change the Gulf of Mexico’s name to the Gulf of America, affecting federal documents and geographic services.
Levy noted similarities between the confusion surrounding the Gulf of Mexico’s renaming and the current Lake Ontario situation, emphasizing the complexities involved in implementing such changes across online platforms.
