Vancouver's legendary Penthouse strip club has waded into the recent Canada-U.S. controversy spurred on by President Donald Trump.
The incoming U.S. leader has repeatedly suggested on social media and in a press conference that Canada should become the 51st American state. The idea has been laughed at, dismissed, and called out as a ridiculous distraction.
But perhaps the most succinct response has come via the Penthouse's popular sign.
"Forever neighbours, never neighbors."
The four words both reinforce the idea that Canada and the US should be friendly to each other while at the same time reinstating Canadian independence by using the Canadian and American spelling of the word "neighbours."
The Penthouse has been a notable business in Vancouver for more than 75 years, pushing cultural boundaries, facing legal challenges, and hosting celebrities from Frank Sinatra to Ella Fitzgerald.
More recently it's become famous for its marquee signs on the front of its 1019 Seymour St building. Often it's a funny, topical message in some way. American politics has been a target before, including a sign following the Jan. 6 assault on the American capitol.
