WILSON, N.Y. (WKBW) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America."
I went to the Village of Wilson on the shores of the newly renamed lake to hear from Western New Yorkers who live near or frequently visit the Great Lake.
The reaction from residents was largely the same: the name change won't change what they call it.
Michael Moyer, a Village of Wilson resident, spoke with me while on an ice cream run with his young boys at Brownie's, less than a mile from the shore.
"I don't think it changes much," Moyer said.
He said he'll stick with calling it Lake Ontario, as he has his whole life.
"You can do with it what you want with it, and people are still going to call it Lake Ontario. People are still going to call it, or people are going to call it Lake America," Moyer said.
Moyer also noted the area's close ties with Canada.
"It's a great area. You have a lot of Canadians here. We all have wonderful respect for each other. They fill the establishments here. I don't think that it changes anything. Obviously, that's just my opinion, but I don't think it's to be taken that seriously," Moyer said.
Jacob Rizzuto, a Hamburg resident, echoed that sentiment.
"Definitely interesting. I don't think it's going to change much. I think people are still going to call it Lake Ontario though," Rizzuto said.
When asked if the name change meant anything to him or whether he would use the new name, Rizzuto said he would not.
"No, not, not too much. Probably not, I'll probably still call it Lake Ontario," Rizzuto said.
John Hallows, a Middleport resident, said the change doesn't bother him but the lake's original name isn't going anywhere for people who grew up in the region.
"Doesn't really bother me at all, and they can name it what they want, but it's always going to be Lake Ontario to us. Any of us that grew up around this area, it will always be Lake Ontario," Hallows said.
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