A controversy has erupted in Canada after Google Maps users noticed that several provincial parks in British Columbia (B.C.) are being labeled as “state parks.”
Also Read: Could Canada really become 51st US state?
According to Global News, multiple users reported that these changes appeared recently.
"In Alberta, several provincial parks are also labeled as state parks, including Miquelon Lake Provincial Park and Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park near Edmonton," the report stated.
Google Responds to Labeling Confusion
However, Google Canada denied making any recent changes, stating that "state park" has long been a default label in its system.
“We have not made any recent changes to the way we label parks in Canada — the vast majority of these parks have had their existing labels for several years. We’re actively working to update labels for parks in Canada to avoid confusion,” Google Canada said in a statement.
Google explained that its mapping system contains multiple labels for parks and that, because both state parks (in the U.S.) and provincial parks (in Canada) are government-managed, the terms may have been interchangeably used in its backend system.
What Trump said on Canada being US's ‘51st State’
The controversy has also resurfaced remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state—a notion that is widely unpopular among Canadians.
“I think Canada would be much better off being the 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada. And I’m not going to let that happen,” Trump said earlier this month. “Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially a subsidy to Canada?”
At first, Canadian officials dismissed the comments as a joke, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau firmly stating that Canada would never become the 51st state. However, in private, Trudeau has reportedly acknowledged Trump’s persistent annexation remarks as a “real concern.”
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According to Global News, multiple users reported that these changes appeared recently.
"In Alberta, several provincial parks are also labeled as state parks, including Miquelon Lake Provincial Park and Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park near Edmonton," the report stated.
Google Responds to Labeling Confusion
However, Google Canada denied making any recent changes, stating that "state park" has long been a default label in its system.“We have not made any recent changes to the way we label parks in Canada — the vast majority of these parks have had their existing labels for several years. We’re actively working to update labels for parks in Canada to avoid confusion,” Google Canada said in a statement.
Google explained that its mapping system contains multiple labels for parks and that, because both state parks (in the U.S.) and provincial parks (in Canada) are government-managed, the terms may have been interchangeably used in its backend system.
What Trump said on Canada being US's ‘51st State’
The controversy has also resurfaced remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state—a notion that is widely unpopular among Canadians.“I think Canada would be much better off being the 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada. And I’m not going to let that happen,” Trump said earlier this month. “Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially a subsidy to Canada?”
At first, Canadian officials dismissed the comments as a joke, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau firmly stating that Canada would never become the 51st state. However, in private, Trudeau has reportedly acknowledged Trump’s persistent annexation remarks as a “real concern.”
