CLARS Lead PI Dr. Gail Krantzberg Featured on CBC’s ‘The Current with Matt Galloway’ Amid Lake Ontario Renaming Debate

Great Lakes experts Dr. Gail Krantzberg, Professor Emeritus McMaster University and Dr. Daniel Macfarlane, Western Michigan University Professor say the controversy over Lake Ontario’s proposed new name risks distracting from more serious threats to the region’s water, environment and governance.

“The name doesn't matter. What's real is removing the protections we've worked so hard for decades on in order to make the lakes great.” Dr. Gail Krantzberg

Dr. Gail Krantzberg, Lead Principal Investigator of the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategies (CLARS) Project, was featured on CBC Radio’s The Current on September 3 in a discussion about the proposed renaming of Lake Ontario and the broader challenges facing the Great Lakes. The episode, titled Is Lake Ontario’s name the least of the Great Lakes’ problems?, examined the implications of the U.S. administration’s decision to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” Dr. Krantzberg, a professor emeritus at McMaster University and longtime Great Lakes researcher, argued that the controversy over the lake’s name should not overshadow more consequential environmental and governance issues. 

For Dr. Krantzberg, the more pressing concern is the potential erosion of environmental protections and scientific monitoring that have been developed over decades to safeguard the Great Lakes. “These are dangerous times for our waters,” Krantzberg said during the program, pointing to concerns about environmental deregulation and the weakening of institutions and protections that support Great Lakes water quality and security. 

Her comments resonate strongly with the mission of CLARS, which focuses on climate adaptation, resilience and the ways communities can prepare for increasingly complex environmental pressures. CLARS research examines the connections between climate change, migration, water governance and community resilience in the Laurentian Great Lakes and Lake Victoria Basin. The project’s work emphasizes translating research into practical strategies that can help communities prepare for a changing climate. 

Also joining The Current was Dr. Daniel Macfarlane, a professor at Western Michigan University and author of The Lives of Lake Ontario: An Environmental History. Dr. Macfarlane brought a historical perspective to the discussion, emphasizing that the name Ontario has Indigenous origins and predates both the United States and Canada. Dr. Macfarlane has argued that “Ontario” is an Anglicized version of an Iroquoian term associated with meanings such as “great water” or “big shining lake.” He also pointed out the lake’s deep importance to Canada, noting that a significant portion of Canada’s population lives within the Lake Ontario watershed and that the lake is central to the economy of Toronto and surrounding communities. While the proposed renaming has generated headlines, Dr. Macfarlane has warned that the attention could divert public focus from the lake’s actual environmental condition. He has previously described Lake Ontario as arguably more polluted and degraded than at any other point in its history, while stressing that both Canada and the United States have more work to do to meet their commitments under Great Lakes water-quality agreements.

The two experts also highlighted the importance of the binational frameworks that govern the Great Lakes, including the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty, the International Joint Commission and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. These institutions provide mechanisms for Canada and the United States to cooperate on the management and protection of shared waters.  For CLARS, the conversation reinforces a central principle of climate resilience: environmental challenges cannot be separated from governance, communities and long-term planning. As debate over Lake Ontario’s name continues, Dr. Krantzberg’s message is ultimately about perspective. A name may generate political controversy, but protecting the Great Lakes requires sustained scientific cooperation, effective environmental policy and resilient communities. The lakes themselves, she emphasized, deserve more attention than the labels placed on them. Listen to the entire conversation here