Toronto, Canada (EFE).- Public institutions and private companies in Canada scrambled on Monday to correct their digital maps after several services displayed the name «Lake America» instead of Lake Ontario over the weekend.
The shift followed Google’s decision to adapt its cartography to an executive order from the United States President Donald Trump.
Hydro One, Ontario’s primary electricity utility, acknowledged that its power outage map incorrectly displayed «Lake America» and confirmed it is working with its technology provider to restore «the proper geographic reference.»
«We regret the error and apologize for any confusion it has caused,» the utility stated in a social media post.
Metrolinx, the provincial agency responsible for GO Transit, also audited its pages to ensure the body of water is identified as Lake Ontario, briefly deactivating one of its maps during the process. Meanwhile, the LCBO, the province’s public alcohol retailer, corrected its own maps on Sunday.
The Ontario government announced it is reviewing its websites after a federal government map detailing housing and infrastructure projects was found using the American designation.
Google explained that developers embedding Google Maps on their websites must set Canada as the default region to ensure «Lake Ontario» appears. The company noted that users accessing Google Maps directly within Canadian territory should continue to see the original name.
The controversy stems from an executive order signed by Trump on Aug. 27, mandating that US federal agencies refer to Lake Ontario as «Lake America,» a move seen as part of an ongoing trade war between Washington and its northern neighbor.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the change, confirming that for Canadians, it will remain Lake Ontario «now and forever.» Similarly, Ontario Premier Doug Ford installed a large sign by the lakeshore on Saturday with the message: «Lake Ontario. Now and Always.» EFE
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