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February 24, 2025

Recent discussions about digital mapping have placed cartographic bias in the spotlight, as Canadians noticed that many provincial parks—including Juan de Fuca Provincial Park in B.C. and Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park in Alberta—were categorized as “state parks” on Google Maps. This classification raised concerns, especially amid ongoing rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump about Canada becoming the 51st state.

Dr. Reuben Rose-Redwood, a professor in the University of Victoria’s Geography department, has weighed in on the controversy, explaining that this issue is less about politics and more about how digital maps categorize geographic spaces.

“Google is using the term ‘state park’ as a catch-all category to refer to parks at either the state or provincial level, in contrast to national parks,” says Rose-Redwood. “While this may indicate a cartographic bias toward U.S. terminology, it most certainly predates the current bluster about Canada becoming the 51st State.”

The controversy has led to a surge of correction requests from Canadians, with many calling for “provincial park” to be recognized as a distinct category. Other platforms, including Bing and TripAdvisor, also list many Canadian provincial parks under the “state park” label, reinforcing what some see as an American-centric approach to mapping.

Rose-Redwood points out that this is not the first time digital maps have influenced political geography. He cites reports that Google recently changed the “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America” for U.S.-based users, as well as a congressional proposal to rename Greenland “Red, White, and Blueland.” These examples highlight how online platforms can shape public perceptions of national and regional identities.

"These types of renaming efforts signal to the world that the current U.S. administration is seeking to flex its muscles to seem strong," writes Rose-Redwood in CBC, "similar to the way a pufferfish inflates its body to appear large." 

While Google has since announced it is working to update its classifications, this incident raises an important question: Who controls the digital maps that define our world? As online platforms become primary sources of geographic information, their choices—whether intentional or not—can influence public understanding of political and cultural boundaries.

Reuben Rose-Redwood’s research explores the power of maps in shaping spatial perceptions, and this controversy serves as a reminder that geography is not just about physical space—it’s also about how that space is represented.