Former President Trump recently signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America. This action, announced on August 28, has generated significant public discussion, with many individuals expressing their intent to continue using the original name.
The executive order has prompted various reactions from the public. Some residents have drawn parallels to other name changes, stating they still refer to landmarks by their previous designations. For instance, one commenter mentioned continuing to call the Steelers football stadium Heinz Field and the Gulf of Mexico by its traditional name, indicating they would ignore the new lake designation. Another individual noted they still refer to Dominion Energy as VEPCO, suggesting a similar resistance to the Lake America name.
The historical context of Lake Ontario’s name has also been brought into the discussion. The lake was originally named by Native Americans from Ohio, and the Canadian province of Ontario was subsequently named after the lake. The name America itself is derived from an Italian explorer. Some commenters have pointed out that, given these origins, renaming it Lake America might be considered less American than retaining the name Lake Ontario.
The legal weight of an executive order has also been a topic of conversation, with one individual clarifying that an executive order is not a law. The implications for Canada, which shares Lake Ontario, were also raised, with one person suggesting Canada might react to the change. Another commenter questioned the perceived impact of the renaming, noting that Canada is already part of North America.
