You bet. I don't speak for you.

Yeah and it's a function of the border that I don't feel part of the cultural/political/identity that is the PNW, even if geographically I comprehend it.

*Isn't open to you if you're north of the border.

Maybe it's that a lot of times when USAians refer to the PNW they don't mean in an inclusive way to include Vancouver, so it's both inclusionary and exclusionary.

A musician's PNW tour will exclude Vancouver, a film's PNW screenings will exclude Vancouver, a contest for the PNW is open to you.

PNW makes sense if it has to, but generally someone in BC will say something like "we're not really in the *northwest* here, we're the southwest" and someone from the US will spend efforts to convince us that we're actually in the PNW.

Similar to how Argentinos sort of go "hey we're Americans too"

Yes, even "American" is American coded. Ask a Latin American if they're American and they'll frequently explain the difference in the terms.

I don't think people in BC object to the term PNW. I think they object to the attitude and the USA-centering.

If we're talking in a context that is in the zone from maybe Portland to Vancouver, there may be other terms than "PNW" that apply, like Cascadia, etc.

It's just that PNW is very, very American coded, and while I've been in Van nearly 40 years, I always understood is as an American term.

What I have issues with is when we're talking meso-local (ie, a scale that includes Seattle and Vancouver), and using the term PNW and then being so mystified and a bit offended that BCers may not find resonance with it. We could call Seattle the Southern Lower Mainland, and they may be as mystified

I would say it depends heavily on the context. If it's in a BC-related context, the "coast" is typically acceptable, the "Lower Mainland," etc.

If it's a North American context that is absent a referent country (ie, we're talking geological/geographic), PNW may be fair.

100%

American exceptionalism is a fascinating thing.

There's nothing south of Victoria on the Pacific Coast in Canada.

Anyways, I see you just want to make us accept your terms, so cheers!

I feel like you're stuck in your worldview and just asserting it's the only valid one and other people are trying to tell you they don't see it exactly the same way, and then you're asking why they don't just use your terms. 😀

I guess I'm trying to underline that Vancouver and Victoria are on the southernmost extreme of our country, so calling it the "northwest" of anything feels upside down.

It's like calling Chicago the East Coast.

But in BC the PNW only includes as an "oh also these guys" when talking about Seattle. We don't see ourselves as PNW and if you're saying Victoria isn't known as a biking city outside the PNW I'm wondering why Tacoma knows about cycling in Victoria.

I don't think this is a widespread thing. I've certainly not been told to use AI.

I don't doubt what you were told, but it could be a weird individual unit or manager issue.

Ah, I see the context now. Thanks.

Can I ask why it was correct at that moment and context? I don't know the context.