On Aug. 27, 2026, President Donald Trump issued an executive order renaming Lake Ontario ‘Lake America,’ claiming his administration had already ‘notified all of the various people you have to notify’

Trump’s executive order may change the name in the U.S., but Canada isn’t required to follow suit. Here’s who gets to decide and where the centuries-old name came from.

*** BESTPIX *** WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 27: A map labeling Lake Ontario as "Lake America" is displayed as U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order during an event