The map used by Utilities Kingston for its online outage tracker is now mistakenly showing Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” This seems to be a result of a change made to Google’s mapping service on Sunday that has also affected various other Canadian websites using this platform.
The wrong label started appearing on Utilities Kingston’s outage map on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, even though Google Maps indicated that Canadian users should still see the body of water labeled as Lake Ontario.
This issue seems to arise from how Google provides mapping data to third-party websites and apps; sometimes the labels and details are not presented in the same way they appear on Google’s consumer-facing Maps service.
Google stated on Saturday that it had updated its maps following changes in the United States Geographic Names Information System, which now refers to Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in the U. S. According to Google’s policy regarding geographic names that differ between countries, users in the U. S. will see “Lake America,” while those in Canada should continue seeing “Lake Ontario.” Users outside these regions are expected to see both names according to Google.
However, organizations in Canada that use Google’s mapping technology seem to be facing different results.
This problem has also impacted online maps used by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) and Hydro One, where Lake Ontario is displayed as “Lake America.”
Hydro One acknowledged this issue on Sunday with a statement directed at Ontario residents.
“We are aware that Lake Ontario is being incorrectly labeled on our outage map. The issue originates from a third-party mapping service. We are working with our vendor to correct the issue as quickly as possible and restore the proper geographic reference. We regret the error and apologize for any confusion it has caused.”
Google’s method for naming geographical features means that what users see can depend heavily on their location. The company explained in a blog post that it updates place names using official government sources and applies different labels based on how governments recognize specific geographic features differently across countries.
This system was implemented after U. S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week directing federal authorities to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America.” Neither Canada nor any other country has accepted this name change, so Canadian users of Google Maps should still see Lake Ontario.
It wasn’t immediately clear why some Canadian websites utilizing Google’s mapping services were displaying the “Lake America” label instead.
When contacted for comments on Sunday, a representative from the City of Kingston mentioned they had forwarded inquiries from Kingstonist over to Utilities Kingston for feedback during regular business hours set for Monday. Both offices usually remain closed on Sundays.
The emergence of this new label on Utilities Kingston’s outage map highlights broader concerns about American tech companies’ influence and their control over databases providing information globally-issues affecting Canadian businesses, organizations, and even governments who rely heavily upon them.
UPDATE (Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, at 9:33 a. m.):
Less than one day after “Lake America” began showing up incorrectly across some Canadian sites using Google’s mapping technology, several organizations like Hydro One have managed to fix this labeling error regarding Lake Ontario.
In response to inquiries from Kingstonist, Utilities Kingston confirmed they were aware of this problem.
“Our team is actively working to resolve it,” stated the local utility company.
“Thank you for your patience.”
UPDATE (Monday , Aug.31 ,2026 , at3 :16 p. m.):The nameofthe lake borderingand feeding waterwaysthroughmuchof Kingston , Frontenac , Lennoxand Addington(KFL&A )hasbeenrestoredonmapsfromalocalutilityprovider.Justafter3 p. m. on Monday , Aug.31 ,2026 , Utilities Kingstonrelayedthatitsmappingfeaturesonceagaincorrectlyname Lake Ontario. Themapshadpreviouslylabeledthe Great Lakesas“Lake America,”something Googlehaschangedforits Americanusersinresponsetoanexecutiveorderfrom President Donald Trump torenamethe lake(see above).“Utilities Kingstonbecameawareofachangetothenameof Lake Ontariodisplayedon Google Maps. Asweuse Google Mapsasourofflinemappingprovider, thechangewasreflectedonourwebsite,”Utilities Kingstonsaidinastatementto Kingstonist.“Ourteamupdatedour Google Mapsconfigurationsettingsthis morningtoensurethat Lake Ontarioisonceagaincorrectlyidentifiedalong Kingston ’s waterfront.”While King ston istwasnot abletoseethelake correctly labeledina mapviewof Kin gston or its waterfront, a zoomed-outversionofthemap shows Lake Ontario namedappropriately.
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