Toronto 
The trade dispute between Canada and the United States has taken an unusual turn, with President Donald Trump ordering Lake Ontario renamed “Lake America” for U.S. federal use.
Credit: YouTube
U.S. President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14420 on Thursday, directing the U.S. interior secretary to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” for American federal purposes. Canada, however, is not required to adopt the new name.
The move comes as trade tensions between the two countries continue. Canada-U.S. negotiations have been suspended after Washington proposed terms the Canadian government considered unacceptable.
In the order, Trump argues that the lake is important to American commerce, energy, shipping and history. He also points to U.S. spending on Great Lakes protection and the country’s role in keeping shipping lanes open.
“The body of water currently known as Lake Ontario is a tremendous asset to the United States and part of our Nation’s heritage,” the order states.
Under Trump’s directive, the Secretary of the Interior has 30 days to work with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to make the change. The Geographic Names Information System would then be updated, while U.S. federal maps, contracts, documents and communications would use Lake America instead of Lake Ontario.
The order also claims the deepest sections of the lake lie within U.S. territory and says the United States holds most of its water volume.
For Canadians looking at a map, though, Lake Ontario does not automatically disappear. Trump’s order applies to U.S. federal naming practices and cannot force Canada to follow the same convention.
According to Wikipedia, the name Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontarí’io, commonly translated as “great lake” or “beautiful lake.” In colonial times, Lake Ontario was also known as Cataraqui, derived from the Mohawk name Katarokwi. The Province of Ontario later took its name from Lake Ontario.
So, for now, one lake could carry two different official names depending on which side of the border you are standing on.
