Hydro One has apologized after its online outage map incorrectly displayed Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” saying the error was caused by a third-party mapping service. The incident came shortly after Google Maps began displaying “Lake America” for users in the United States following an executive order from President Donald Trump renaming the Great Lake.
“We are aware that Lake Ontario is being incorrectly labeled on our outage map,” a Hydro One spokesperson said via X. “The issue originates from a third-party mapping service. We are working with our vendor to correct the issue as quickly as possible and restore the proper geographic reference. We regret the error and apologize for any confusion it has caused.”
Why It Happened
Hydro One was not itself renaming the lake. The company uses an outside mapping service for its outage map, and the service appears to have incorporated the new U.S. geographic designation.
Google Maps began updating its maps over the weekend after Trump signed an executive order on August 27 directing the U.S. government to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America.” Google said U.S. users would see “Lake America,” while users in Canada would continue to see “Lake Ontario.” Users elsewhere would see both names.
The change has also appeared on several Canadian websites that use third-party mapping tools, including the LCBO and Metrolinx.
The Executive Order
The order claims that the deepest parts of the lake lie within U.S. territory and that the United States provides much of the infrastructure and security supporting the Great Lakes system. It directs federal agencies to replace references to Lake Ontario with “Lake America.”
The name change is not recognized in Canada. Lake Ontario remains the name used by Canadian authorities and on Canadian-facing Google Maps. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has pushed back against the change, unveiling a large sign reading: “Lake Ontario. Now and Always.”
The Trade War Context
The dispute over the lake’s name comes as relations between the United States and Canada have deteriorated over trade negotiations. Washington and Ottawa have been engaged in a tariff dispute involving billions of dollars in goods, with both countries imposing or threatening tariffs.
The Lake Ontario renaming is largely symbolic, but it has become another flashpoint in the increasingly hostile relationship between the neighboring countries. It also echoes Trump’s decision in 2025 to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for U.S. government purposes.
The Bottom Line
Canadian utility Hydro One apologized after its outage map showed “Lake America” instead of Lake Ontario following President Trump’s executive order renaming the lake. The error was caused by a third-party mapping service that incorporated the new U.S. designation. The name change is not recognized in Canada, where the lake remains Lake Ontario. The dispute comes amid deteriorating trade relations between the U.S. and Canada
