Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America.

The move is part of his escalating trade war with Canada.

Trump made the name change official during a signing in the Oval Office. It requires federal entities to recognize the new designation, but it does not mean other countries have to do so. Trump had threatened the change after talks broke down over his 50% tariffs on billions of dollars of Canadian goods, which took effect last weekend.

Canada then responded with levies of its own. On Thursday afternoon, Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on social media that Canadians know to call it Lake Ontario "now and always."

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