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🇮🇳 India /Elections & Politics

Oswego rejects Trump’s proposed ‘Lake America’ name for Lake Ontario

From Times of India · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Oswego Mayor Robert Corradino has rejected the proposed renaming of Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” saying the lake is central to the city’s identity, history and economy.
  • The Republican mayor said Oswego would not change its signs, tourism materials or official communications, while legislators from both parties approved a resolution opposing the change.
  • Corradino said Canadian tourism has fallen substantially, affecting local stores and museums that depend on visitors from Canada.

Oswego is refusing to rename Lake Ontario, even as the Republican mayor of the New York city says the issue has become personal.

Robert Corradino, who has lived only in Oswego, said the lake defines the community. "The water is part of our identity," he said. "Not only our identity, but the economy and the history of the lake are tied to the city."

The water is part of our identity. Not only our identity, but the economy and the history of the lake are tied to the city.

· Robert CorradinoThe Oswego mayor explained why he opposed renaming Lake Ontario.

President Trump signed an executive order on August 27 renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America in US government records and maps. Google and Apple Maps have since adopted the new name for users in the United States. Corradino said Oswego would not change its signs, tourism materials or official communications.

We can disagree with the current administration's take about renaming Lake Ontario and still support some of its other initiatives. But we're taking the renaming of the lake very personally in Oswego.

· Robert CorradinoCorradino described his opposition while distinguishing it from his views on other administration policies.

"We can disagree with the current administration's take about renaming Lake Ontario and still support some of its other initiatives," Corradino told the National Post. "But we're taking the renaming of the lake very personally in Oswego."

He also linked the dispute to the local economy, saying Canadian tourism had fallen substantially. "We have stores, we have museums that depend on tourism, and Canadians are a big part of our tourism business," he said.

Lake Ontario is in the DNA of Oswegonians.

· Robert CorradinoThe mayor emphasized the lake's place in the city's identity.

Oswego has about 17,000 residents and is politically divided, Corradino said. The wider county is strongly Republican, with 61 percent of voters backing Trump in the 2024 election. County legislators from both parties approved a resolution rejecting the new name. It cited concerns about rebranding costs for taxpayers and businesses, while stressing that it recognized the lake's longstanding historical and regional significance.

Everything that we are emanates from the lake.

· Robert CorradinoCorradino connected Oswego's character and history to Lake Ontario.
About this summary

Originally published by Times of India in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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