Sunita Somvanshi
The White House issued an executive order on August 27 directing the U.S. federal government to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America.” Canada’s official geographical database continues to list the lake as Lake Ontario.
Social media speculation circulated claims that Canada was considering blocking commercial shipping through the Welland Canal in response to the naming dispute. No Canadian government announcement identified in this review establishes such a measure.
The Welland Canal contains eight locks and raises and lowers vessels 99.4 metres (326 feet) to account for elevation differences in the Great Lakes system. The St. Lawrence Seaway, which connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, operates as a binational infrastructure system with Canadian and U.S. components administered by separate national institutions.
The 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty establishes that navigable boundary waters shall remain free and open to both countries equally, including canals connecting boundary waters. The treaty establishes reciprocal treaty rights for the two countries, subject to its conditions. A discriminatory restriction on navigation by either country would raise serious questions under the treaty’s requirements for equal and non-discriminatory navigation.
The naming dispute is political—about naming and sovereignty—not about functional use of critical trade corridors. The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation is responsible for operating the Canadian Seaway facilities, while the Government of Canada retains ownership of the Canadian assets.
