Some Canadian websites, including those for the federal government, exhibited maps with Lake Ontario labeled as Lake America on Sunday, following an announcement by Google Maps to conform with a directive from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Google stated on Saturday that the alteration was made as the U.S. government’s geographical names database officially rechristened the lake.
While Google noted that the adjustment would solely impact users in the U.S., several Ontario and Canadian websites displayed Lake America on their maps. This included platforms like 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 discrepancy, a spokesperson from Hydro One informed CBC News via email that the mislabeling of Lake Ontario on their outage map was due to a third-party mapping service, expressing regret for the error.
Metrolinx, a government agency owning GO Transit, also confirmed awareness of the issue and mentioned that they were actively reviewing their websites to accurately identify Lake Ontario by its correct name.
By Sunday evening, the problematic GO Transit map had been deactivated, and the LCBO map had been corrected to display Lake Ontario once more.
MapQuest, an online mapping service in the U.S., declared that it would retain the lake’s original name and Apple has not released any public statements regarding the issue.
Google later clarified that website developers embedding Google Maps could choose a region to localize the map, dictating the display of place names on sites based on the set region.
Tech analyst Carmi Levy explained that Canadian websites like Hydro One and the LCBO likely utilize Google’s application programming interface (API) for their maps, which led to the default switch to Lake America due to APIs not being location-aware.
Levy highlighted the importance of developers selecting Canada as the region in the backend to localize maps, emphasizing that until this becomes common knowledge, discrepancies will persist.
Despite the confusion, Google Maps continues to show Lake Ontario within Canada, even if the term “Lake America” is entered. Levy mentioned that globally, Lake America is now searchable, but searches outside North America will display Lake Ontario with Lake America in parentheses.
The incident underscored the significance of Canada lacking its mapping APIs, leaving a substantial part of online activities reliant on American companies.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized the name change, asserting that Lake Ontario’s original name would endure. He unveiled a sign in Winona, Ont., affirming “Lake Ontario Now and Always” in response to Trump’s executive order.
Trump’s attempt to rename Lake Ontario was met with opposition by Canadian officials, with Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasizing the enduring identity of Lake Ontario.
The escalating tensions between Canada and the U.S. following failed trade negotiations culminated in the announcement of retaliatory measures by the Canadian government.
Amid the trade war discourse, Ford softened his stance on American TV, urging a return to negotiations for a mutually beneficial trade deal.
Trump’s previous order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America resulted in similar online confusion, with Levy noting the parallels in inconsistency during such changes.