Western Canada

::This article is about a geographic region. For the school in Calgary, see Western Canada High School

Definitions

Although many Canadians include the province of British Columbia (BC) in the generic region of "Western Canada," many British Columbians tend to distinguish themselves from the other three Western provinces and see their province as constituting a geographic region of its own, known as the "West Coast."

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British Columbia has many distinctions from the three Prairie Provinces, particularly geographical and climatic. The presence of the Rocky Mountains has historically tended to isolate BC and has resulted in a somewhat different culture and attitude in that province. Coastal British Columbia is sometimes separated and termed "Pacific Canada" due its distinct climate and to the strong difference in culture, which is more in line with the coastal regions of the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and northern California, including a more liberal political alignment that features strong environmental awareness.

Related Topics:
Rocky Mountains - Washington - Oregon - Northern California

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Another issue with regards to defining Western Canada is that many in the most Western provinces (British Columbia and Alberta) do not consider Manitoba part of the region because Manitoba is, geographically speaking, located in the centre of Canada. Manitobans, however, consider themselves to be Western Canadians, and the province's economy and history mirror its Western neighbours far more than Ontario and Quebec, which together are often referred to as Central Canada.

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