IAGLR Reaffirms: It Is Lake Ontario—Then, Now, and Always

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2026

Media Contact: Paula McIntyre, IAGLR Communication Director, mcintyre@iaglr.org

ANN ARBOR, MI — The International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) will continue to use the name Lake Ontario in all its publications, conferences, communications, and scientific activities, regardless of the U.S. federal designation directed by the August 27 executive order to rename the lake.

As an international scientific organization dedicated to advancing research and understanding of the Great Lakes, IAGLR's mandate depends on clear, consistent, and scientifically accurate communication about these shared waters. The Great Lakes cross political boundaries, and their study and stewardship require cooperation among scientists, institutions, governments, and communities on both sides of the border.

The name Ontario has a long history. It derives from the Wendat word Ontari’io, meaning “the lake is beautiful” or “the lake is big.” The name has been used for more than 400 years, predating both Canada and the United States. As Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated in response to the U.S. executive order, “naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now, and always.”

Indigenous Nations of the Great Lakes Basin—including the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, and Wendat—have governed their relationship with water through legal orders, treaties, and ceremonies for millennia. Frameworks such as the Water Declaration of the Anishinaabek, Mushkegowuk, and Onkwehonwe understand water as sacred and as part of a living, interconnected relationship with all beings, emphasizing human responsibilities to respect, honor, and care for the waters.

IAGLR recognizes the importance of respecting the historical and cultural knowledge associated with the Great Lakes, including Indigenous knowledge and languages. This is consistent with IAGLR's commitment to advancing scientific understanding through collaboration and to supporting the many communities and institutions connected to the Great Lakes.

A shared lake and a shared scientific endeavour

Lake Ontario is a transboundary waterbody, with the border between Canada and the U.S. bisecting the lake. Its environmental challenges do not stop at the international boundary. Addressing climate change, harmful algal blooms, invasive species, pollution, biodiversity loss, and other pressures requires sustained scientific cooperation across jurisdictions.

For over a century, the Boundary Waters Treaty and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement have provided a framework for joint stewardship of these shared waters—a model of transboundary environmental governance that depends on mutual respect and consistent terminology.

For nearly 60 years, IAGLR has brought together researchers and practitioners from across the Great Lakes basin and around the world to advance understanding of these interconnected freshwater systems. Our work depends on clear communication about the waters we study and seek to protect. Consistent terminology enables scientists, policymakers, communities, and the public to collaborate effectively across borders and disciplines.

This unilateral action by the U.S. federal government to rename the lake directly complicates data-sharing frameworks managed under long-standing international agreements.

"As scientists, we rely on consistent nomenclature to maintain the integrity of long-term datasets and cross-border collaboration," said Noel Urban, IAGLR President. "Lake Ontario is a shared waterbody with a name that predates both nations. We see no scientific or management justification for changing it."

Moving forward, IAGLR remains committed to protecting the integrity of transboundary science. The stewardship of the Great Lakes depends on ongoing international cooperation, mutual respect, and a common understanding of the interconnected aquatic systems we work together to protect.

It is Lake Ontario—then, now, and always.

About IAGLR

The International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) is an international scientific organization dedicated to promoting research on the Great Lakes and other large lakes of the world. IAGLR brings together scientists, researchers, students, policymakers, and other partners to advance understanding of freshwater ecosystems and to support their protection and restoration.