Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The President issued Executive Order 14420, renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America to recognize the lake's significance to the United States and its American heritage within the Great Lakes system. This renaming follows the policy set in Executive Order 14172, which aims to restore names that honor American greatness.
The United States is described as the primary protector of the Great Lakes, providing 9 of the 11 icebreaking vessels to keep commercial shipping lanes open at no cost, and investing nearly $4 billion in ecosystem protection over the last decade. In contrast, Canada's investment in such initiatives has been considerably lower during the same period.
The newly named Lake America contains its deepest waters within U.S. territory, accounting for most of its volume. Historically, the lake played a crucial role in American exploration, settlement, commerce, and defense—from colonial times through the early republic—including forts, naval operations, and its use as vital trade routes during the War of 1812 and beyond.
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system, with Lake America as its easternmost and gateway segment, remains economically significant. It supports substantial maritime commerce, generating billions of dollars in value, hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs, and business revenue, particularly in bulk commodities such as iron ore, limestone, coal, and agricultural products.
The lake also supplies water for nuclear, natural gas, and oil-fired power plants, and provides municipal drinking water to nearby communities, emphasizing its ongoing critical role in U.S. infrastructure.