Some Canadian websites, including those of the federal government, showcased maps on Sunday with Lake Ontario renamed as Lake America. This change followed Google Maps’ announcement to comply with a directive from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Google stated in a post on its corporate website on Saturday that it adjusted the name due to a formal renaming of the lake in the U.S. government’s geographic names database. Although Google indicated the alteration was targeted at U.S. users, various Ontario and Canadian websites depicted Lake America on their maps.
Notable examples included 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. Hydro One acknowledged the error, attributing it to a third-party mapping service, and assured prompt correction in collaboration with the vendor.
Metrolinx, an Ontario government agency overseeing GO Transit, acknowledged the issue and stated they are diligently ensuring the correct naming of Lake Ontario on their websites. They also mentioned the temporary suspension of the map function on the GO stations’ page where the mislabeling occurred.
Google clarified that developers embedding Google Maps on their sites can localize the map by selecting a specific region. This setting dictates the display of place names on the websites. The company emphasized that when developers set their region to Canada, “Lake Ontario” should be displayed.
Tech analyst Carmi Levy explained that Canadian websites like Hydro One and LCBO likely use Google’s application programming interface (API) to power their maps, resulting in the default switch to Lake America due to API limitations. Levy highlighted the importance of developers setting the region to Canada to avoid such discrepancies.
The dispute over Lake Ontario’s name underscores the implications of Canada’s reliance on American mapping technologies. The absence of a domestic mapping solution leaves a significant portion of online activities reliant on American platforms, Levy noted.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford denounced the name change, emphasizing that Lake Ontario’s historical identity as Lake Ontario should prevail. He unveiled a sign in Winona, Ont., reaffirming the lake’s original name. Ford criticized Trump’s executive order and expressed his commitment to preserving the lake’s traditional designation.
The escalating tensions between the U.S. and Canada, exacerbated by failed trade talks, led to retaliatory measures from both sides. The federal government announced retaliatory tariffs in response to new U.S. tariffs, intensifying the trade dispute between the two countries.
Trump signed a similar executive order last year to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, affecting only U.S. federal documents and services. The confusion surrounding online maps during that change mirrored the current situation with Lake Ontario, Levy emphasized.
The ongoing dispute highlights the challenges of digital sovereignty for Canada and underscores the need for a more independent digital infrastructure to avoid such situations in the future.
