Trump Signs Order to Rename Lake Ontario Amid Trade Dispute

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America, stating the change is "official, effective immediately." This decision follows the collapse of trade talks between the US and Canada, leading to the US imposing 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Canada plans to implement "dollar for dollar" counter tariffs next month.

Trump has previously threatened to rename the lake on social media, claiming that Canada has been "ripping us off for a long time on trade." He also mentioned a desire to rename other bodies of water, suggesting a potential future change to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Canadian Minister Melanie Joly responded to the name change by stating, "We'll always call it Lake Ontario." The US Department of the Interior has been directed to update the Geographic Names Information Service to reflect this change.

The trade dispute has strained US-Canada relations, with recent insults exchanged between officials.