Canadian PM rejects Trump's lake renaming, defends Indigenous name

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney pushed back on President Trump's executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America, noting the name's Wendat origin meaning 'beautiful, big lake.' He said the name has been used for over 400 years and will remain Lake Ontario in Canada. Ontario Premier Doug Ford echoed that stance, while Trump's order only applies within the U.S.

The executive order follows a precedent set earlier in Trump's second term, when the Gulf of Mexico was similarly redesignated as the "Gulf of America" for federal purposes. The Lake Ontario order carries no authority beyond U.S. jurisdiction, leaving the international name unchanged for Canadian and global use.

The renaming coincides with escalating trade friction between the two nations. Trump has imposed 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian goods, with additional duties threatened on automotive imports and steel starting in 2027. Canada's retaliatory tariffs took effect September 8, with Carney committing to match U.S. levies dollar for dollar, though seafood was later exempted from the measures.