New York Governor Kathy Hochul Responds to Trump's Lake Renaming Proposal

<p>New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday responded to President Donald Trump's executive order to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" amid ongoing trade tensions with Canada, stating that New York will continue to use the original name.</p><p>"New York won’t be calling it that," Hochul, a Democrat, posted on X.</p><p>Trump's order directs the Interior Department and the Board on Geographic Names to update federal records to reflect the new name. However, Canada and international organizations are not required to adopt this name.</p><p>Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney noted that the name Lake Ontario originates from the Wendat word Ontari’io, meaning "the lake is beautiful, the lake is big," and has been in use for over 400 years, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States.</p><p>Carney emphasized that naming reality involves recognizing the lake as Lake Ontario, stating, "Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always."</p><p>U.S. states are not obligated to follow the order and can continue to use "Lake Ontario" on state maps, highway signs, and tourism materials. Hochul, along with Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and Vermont Governor Phil Scott, criticized the renaming initiative.</p><p>Evers humorously responded by renaming Lake Michigan to Lake Wisconsin in a video on X, while Scott described Trump's action as "petty and disappointing," advocating for negotiations to strengthen U.S.-Canadian economic relations.</p><p>The name Lake Ontario is also linked to an Indigenous term meaning "lake of shining waters" and serves as a watershed for approximately 5.6 million Americans and Canadians. The lake borders Ontario and New York, connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence Seaway.</p><p>Hochul has previously criticized Trump for the trade war with Canada, stating that he is "treating our allies as enemies" and that American families are suffering as a result.</p><p>New York is expected to be significantly affected by the trade conflict, with U.S. goods and services traded with Canada totaling an estimated $872.3 billion last year, according to the U.S. Trade Representative's office.</p><p>Carney announced that Canada would impose retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. starting September 8 in response to the Trump administration's new 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, which took effect earlier this month. He stated that Canada would match the U.S. tariffs dollar for dollar to protect Canadian workers, farmers, families, and businesses.</p>