Mike Olcott and Pat Vito come to Lake Ontario often. For them, living nearby in Greece, New York, it's like a second home. President Donald Trump's executive order renaming it Lake America on Thursday came as a shock.
When Olcott and Vito heard the news of the name change, they couldn't believe it. They described how there were more important matters to address and focus on. "We got crime problems and all kinds of things that we need to take care of," Vito said. "That body of water will always be there."
Sharee Turpin of Gates said she has been coming out to the lake every summer since she was a kid. She often comes to the beach to sit, relax and watch the waves.
When she initially heard that Trump was considering changing the name, she thought
it was funny. Despite the name change, Turpin said, it will always be known as Lake Ontario to her.
"I just wanted it to stay Lake Ontario because it's part of our history," Turpin said.
Lake Ontario's name comes from the Iroquois word "Ontarí'io," meaning "lake of shining waters," according to the Center for Great Lakes Literacy. The name first appeared on maps created by European explorers in the 1660s.
Amid a week of back-and-forth with Canada over trade, Trump signed the executive order Aug. 27 to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America. Trump directed the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to formally change the lake's name within 30 days.
"If you think about it, we have a gulf and we have a lake, now all we need is an ocean," Trump said, referring to the Gulf of America, previously known as the Gulf of Mexico. "So maybe we'll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific."
White House Staff Secretary Ben Moss said the order means the "lake once known as Lake Ontario will from this day forward be known as Lake America." Moss said that although the lake borders Toronto, Canada's largest city, most of its volume, including its deepest parts, lies in U.S. territory. "This will reflect that this is an American lake," Moss said.
The renaming follows the breakdown of trade negotiations between the United States and Canada and the Trump administration's 50% tariffs on many Canadian goods. It remains unclear how widely the new name will be adopted outside federal agencies because Lake Ontario also borders Canada.
John Melder of Greece said he just laughed when he heard the news about the lake's name change. He described the topic as a joke.
"He [Trump] did the same thing with the Gulf of Mexico and it's still the Gulf of Mexico so this would still be Lake Ontario," Melder said. "I think people will do what I do and not take it seriously."
— Kerria Weaver works as the Government and You reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on how government actions affect communities and neighborhoods in Rochester and in Monroe County. Get in touch at kweaver@gannett.com.
— Kayla Canne covers community safety for the Democrat and Chronicle with a focus on immigration, police accountability, government surveillance and how people are impacted by violence. Follow her on Instagram @bykaylacanne. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: 'Lake America' or not, locals say it's still Lake Ontario
