**Trump Urges Apple to Rename Lake Ontario to Lake America Following Executive Order**
In a controversial move, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario, one of North America's Great Lakes, to Lake America. This directive has sparked a significant response from both U.S. and Canadian officials and citizens alike.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced on Monday that Trump has reached out directly to Apple, requesting that the tech giant update its Maps platform to reflect the new name. "I'm sure we may be seeing that change coming up soon," Burgum stated during an interview with Fox News.
The name change comes in the wake of stalled trade negotiations between the United States and Canada, which have heightened tensions between the two nations. In a bid to comply with the executive order, Google has already updated its maps for U.S. users to display Lake America. However, Canadian users will still see the lake referred to as Lake Ontario. For users outside of North America, the lake is labeled as "Lake Ontario (Lake America)."
Despite the push from the U.S. government, the renaming has faced considerable backlash in Canada. Hydro One, a Toronto-based electrical utility company, issued an apology after a map it produced briefly displayed the name Lake America. The company clarified that the error was due to their use of a third-party mapping service and stated, "We are working with our vendor to correct the issue as quickly as possible and restore the proper geographic reference."
Other Ontario agencies, including Hydro Ottawa and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, also experienced similar issues with their maps displaying the new name, prompting further criticism from Canadian officials and residents.
In response to the executive order, Ontario Premier Doug Ford took a firm stance against the name change. He unveiled a large sign by the lakeshore that read "Lake Ontario Now and Always" in both English and French, emphasizing the historical significance of the name. During an appearance on American television, Ford stated, "No one's going to call it Lake America. It's been Lake Ontario for hundreds of years. It's going to continue being Lake Ontario."
While some mapping services like Google have complied with the U.S. government's request, others, such as MapQuest, have refused to change the name. MapQuest announced on social media that it would not be altering the designation of Lake Ontario, even introducing a feature that allows users to customize the name of the lake on their maps. Following this announcement, MapQuest saw a surge in downloads, becoming one of the most downloaded free applications on the Apple App Store in Canada.
The renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake America has ignited a broader conversation about national identity and the complexities of U.S.-Canada relations. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how other tech companies and mapping services will respond to the executive order and the ongoing pushback from Canadian officials and citizens.
As of now, the BBC has reached out to Apple for comment regarding the potential changes to their mapping services, but no response has been provided at this time. The situation continues to develop, and further updates are expected as both countries navigate the implications of this controversial name change.