Some Canadian websites, including those for the federal government, showcased maps featuring Lake Ontario labeled as Lake America on Sunday. This adjustment followed Google Maps’ announcement aligning with a directive from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Google stated in a post on its corporate website on Saturday that the modification was made in accordance with the U.S. government’s official geographic names database rebranding the lake.
While Google clarified that the alteration would impact only U.S. users, several Ontario and Canadian websites displayed Lake America on their maps. These included Hydro One’s outage map, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) store locator, GO Transit’s station finder, and the federal government’s housing and infrastructure map.
Acknowledging the error, a spokesperson from Hydro One informed CBC News via email that the mislabeling of Lake Ontario on their outage map stemmed from a third-party mapping service. They expressed regret for the mistake and affirmed collaboration with their vendor to swiftly rectify the issue and restore the accurate geographic reference.
Metrolinx, an Ontario government agency overseeing GO Transit, also confirmed awareness of the matter in an email to CBC News. They mentioned actively reviewing their websites to ensure correct identification of Lake Ontario and disabling the map function on the affected GO stations’ page.
By late Sunday afternoon, the contentious GO Transit map had been disabled, and the LCBO map had been corrected to display Lake Ontario once more. Contrary to Google’s action, MapQuest, a U.S.-based online mapping service, declared via social media that they would not adopt the lake’s name change. Meanwhile, Apple has not publicly addressed the issue.
In a statement on Sunday night, Google clarified that website developers embedding Google Maps can select a region for localization, determining place names displayed on their sites. The company emphasized that choosing Canada as the region would present “Lake Ontario” on the maps.
Tech analyst Carmi Levy explained that despite Canadian ownership, websites like Hydro One and the LCBO likely utilize Google’s application programming interface (API) for their maps. APIs lack location awareness, causing maps powered by Google API to default to “Lake America.”
Levy highlighted Google’s suggested solution for developers to localize maps by setting their region as Canada on the backend. However, he noted that awareness and technical comfort levels vary, resulting in a mixed outcome until adjustments are made.
Google Maps tailors results based on a user’s location, ensuring users within Canada see Lake Ontario even if they input Lake America. Levy mentioned that Google has globally updated its search index, making Lake America searchable worldwide, with Lake Ontario displayed first, followed by Lake America in brackets for searches outside North America.
The name alteration underscores the need for Canada to establish its mapping solutions and APIs, as reliance on American companies dominates online activities in the country.
Ontario’s Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, Stephen Crawford, acknowledged the situation on social media, assuring active reviews to ensure accurate lake identification on provincial websites.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized the name change, emphasizing Lake Ontario’s historical significance. Ford unveiled a sign in Winona, Ont., affirming the lake’s timeless identity. Trump’s attempt to rename the lake sparked a series of exchanges between the two leaders, culminating in Ford advocating for a return to constructive trade talks.
Trump’s executive order to rename Lake Ontario mirrors a past decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. Despite applying solely to U.S. federal documents and geographic services, select online mapping services adjusted to reflect the new name. Most major news outlets continue to refer to it as the Gulf of Mexico.
Levy drew parallels between the Gulf of Mexico renaming confusion and the current Lake Ontario situation, emphasizing the complexities of such changes across online platforms.