Is there a such thing as "Southern Canada"? (mobile home, live in)

[iPwn]

I mean considering most Canadians live basically within walking distance of the US border, isn't it kind of pointless to say, call Vancouver "southwestern Canada"?

I think most Canadians would see it as the western terminus, and subconsciously view Canada as a strip country like Chile (just guessing).

The concept of a Southern Canada would probably only make sense to people in Yellowknife.

[Monty870]

There really isn't such a thing. We define Canada in terms of 6 general regions: BC, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, Maritimes, North.

[Lionsdale]

But there is Southern Alberta, which is definitely more Cowboyish.

[pigeonhole]

Geographically I would define Southern CND as any territory South of 50°NLatitude, which includes by the way 70% (more or less) of the country's population.

[mishigas73]

My boyfriend, who lives in a suburb of Vancouver, calls the entire area the "PNW". I suppose, since his term basically describes the northwest US, calling it "southwestern Canada" would probably be more accurate.

[macmeal]

Perhaps 'Southern Canada' is a part of the country in which stubborn people dream of a romanticized past...where education is lax, where folks drive battered pickup trucks, shoot at road signs, live in mobile homes, and fly their own controversial flag. But I doubt it. I've never heard the term "Southern Canada" used, with the POSSIBLE exception of that part of 'peninsular' Ontario between the Great Lakes..and THEN, as I recall, it was from an American perspective..i.e., "Michigan, Ohio, and nearby Southern Canada".

But no, other than that, I've never heard it used.

[forthewars]

Originally Posted by Monty870

There really isn't such a thing. We define Canada in terms of 6 general regions: BC, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, Maritimes, North.

What about Newfoundland and Labrador? Or are we lumped in with the Maritimes?

[Robynator]

Originally Posted by Monty870

There really isn't such a thing. We define Canada in terms of 6 general regions: BC, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, Maritimes, North.

Exactly.

You can't take American concepts like "the south" or "the north" and apply it to Canada.

You're right, due to historical settlement patterns and trade routes (in addition to climate/geography reasons), the majority of Canada's population is situated closer to the American border than to regions further north. But there isn't a North-South sense of regionalism. Saying that, there is definitely an "East West" dichotomy.

"The West" typically refers to BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

But then you also have "the Prairies" which just refers to Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

People in the west refer to Quebec and Ontario as "The East" even though they're really "Central Canada".

"The Maritimes", "Atlantic Canada" "the Atlantic Provinces" or "the East Coast" usually refers to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, and Newfoundland & Labrador.

"The North", "Northern Canada" or "the territories" refers to Canada's territories - the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

Now it's not unusual for the small percentage of Canada's population who do live in the northern territories to refer to Canada outside of the territories as "the south" or "southern Canada".

[mikeyyc]

The only time you would describe the lower mainland as southwest would be in placing it in B.C.

Vancouver is in SW BC, as opposed to the Okanagan Valley or the Kootenays.

Those distinctions are usually for non-canadians though, to define where Vancouver is located on a map, not as a region description.

[iPwn]

Originally Posted by forthewars

What about Newfoundland and Labrador? Or are we lumped in with the Maritimes?

It would be considered Atlantic Canada but not so much Maritimes.