Aug 31, 2026
Canadian government agencies and businesses are working to patch their websites after online interactive maps temporarily displayed Lake Ontario as “Lake America.”
The discrepancy stems from an executive order signed last week by U.S. President Donald Trump, which directed the U.S. Geographic Names Information System to officially rename the body of water. Following the administrative change, Google Maps updated its system, defaulting to the “Lake America” label for users inside the United States while retaining “Lake Ontario” for Canadian users.
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However, because many Canadian organizations embed third-party mapping software such as Google Maps using default application settings, the updated label inadvertently appeared across several domestic sites.
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Crown agencies and public utilities, including Hydro One, Metrolinx and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), reported that their interactive locators showed the altered name over the weekend. Federal housing and infrastructure tools were similarly affected.
Agencies respond to geographic discrepancy
Infrastructure Ontario released a public notice acknowledging the issue on its website Sunday.
“Infrastructure Ontario is experiencing the same mapping issue as other government organizations that pull data directly from Google Maps,” the agency said. “We are actively reviewing our website to ensure that Lake Ontario is always identified by its correct name: Lake Ontario.”
Metrolinx temporarily disabled the interactive map function on its GO Transit station finder page while resolving the default setting. Hydro One confirmed that the issue originated from an external mapping provider, noting that teams worked with vendors to correct the geographic references.
By Monday morning, most public agency websites had updated their configuration settings to display “Lake Ontario.”
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Online reaction and official pushback
The digital glitch quickly sparked reaction across social media platforms. Users on Threads reported that map features on Royal Bank of Canada digital platforms were briefly displaying “Lake America” over the weekend, though those reports could not be independently verified.
Ontario Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Stephen Crawford addressed the glitch directly on social media.
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“Some Ontario government agency websites pull map data directly from Google Maps. Following recent changes by Google, we’re actively reviewing our websites to make sure they all identify Lake Ontario by its correct name: Lake Ontario,” Crawford wrote on X. “As Ontarians, we will always stand up for our province, our identity and the places that define it.”
Premier Doug Ford echoed the sentiment, stating on social media that “Lake Ontario is and always will be Lake Ontario.”
In a statement, Google clarified that developers using its map application programming interfaces can customize location settings. When developers set their application region code to Canada, the platform defaults to displaying “Lake Ontario.”
Political leaders across Canada have rejected the U.S. name change, emphasizing that Canada retains equal sovereignty over the shared body of water and that the historical name, derived from the Huron-Wendat word for “great lake,” will remain the official designation in Canadian law and cartography.
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Leslie Kennedy served as an editor at Thomson Reuters and for Star Media Group, followed by a number of years as a writer and editor and content manager in marketing communications, before returning to her editorial roots. She is a graduate of Humber College’s post-graduate journalism program and has been a professional writer and editor ever since.
