MapQuest Defies Trump Executive Order, Refuses to Rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America'

Chicago-based mapping service provider MapQuest has publicly responded to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America." The company installed an approximately six-foot-tall billboard advertisement near the intersection of State and Hubbard streets in Chicago. The display continues to show the traditional name "Lake Ontario" alongside driving routes from Chicago to the lake, accompanied by a message stating that it remains Lake Ontario and MapQuest is standing by its position. The controversy stems from an executive order issued by President Trump in August, which mandated changing the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" across official U.S. government references. Following the directive, several mapping services began displaying the updated name within the United States, while platforms in Canada maintained the original designation. MapQuest, however, explicitly refused to adopt the new name, a decision that has led to an increase in the company's popularity. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the matter, emphasizing that the history of the lake predates American independence and asserting that reality should be referred to by its original name.