Google updates maps to show Lake America in the U.S. - but Canadians are now seeing it, too
Google Maps incorrectly labeled Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' for some users due to a change in a U.S. geographic database. Several Canadian government and utility websites were affected before the error was corrected.
Why it matters
This incident demonstrates the risks of relying on third-party mapping APIs for critical infrastructure and public information services.
The search giant said in a Saturday post on its corporate website that it made the change because the U.S. government's geographic names database has formally renamed the lake.
Google said the change would only affect U.S. users, but a number of websites for Ontario and Canadian entities appeared to display Lake America on maps.
Among them were Hydro One's outage map, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario's (LCBO's) store locator, GO Transit's station finder and the federal government's housing and infrastructure map.
"We are aware that Lake Ontario is being incorrectly labeled on our outage map," a spokesperson told CBC News in an email, adding that Hydro One regrets the "error."
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