What If A Different City Was Chosen For Canada's Capital?

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

Doesn't the latest version of the Civilization game actually feature Canada, though!

It certainly does. Or one like it. Ayreonaut keeps tainting me with screenshots of Newfoundland labeled as Canada (and including only us and parts of Cape Breton lol).

[Capsicum]

The newest Civilization game's depiction of Canada is really jokes.

Apparently, Laurier is the leader, with references to "The Last Best West", hockey rinks, and Mounties associated with the attributes and abilities of this civilization.

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[Acajack]

Originally Posted by CivicBlues

So with Canada's provinces having such a high degree of autonomy, doesn't that make Ottawa being part of Ontario even more egregious? A national capital is supposed to be impartial to all it's subordinate entities yet here we have our capital residing in the most populous and most powerful entity of them all. Strange how other provinces have never brought this up and it's never been a part of the National conversation.

Well, it's not as if the capital of Canada is London, Ontario. The influences in Ottawa and the capital function itself are primarily Ontario-ish but the fact that the city is located directly on the border with Quebec provides a pretty big counter-weight that prevents Canada's government from being all-Ontario in terms of interests.

A quarter to a third of Ottawa's metro is in Quebec and a quarter to a third of the metro population is francophone. 25% of the federal jobs in this area are in Quebec and you can easily see Quebec from the north facing windows in most buildings in downtown Ottawa.

So Canada's capital is hybrid of sorts, with predominantly Ontario/anglophone influences for sure, but a strong Quebec/francophone component as well that can't really be overlooked.

[lio45]

^Exactly.

CivicBlues says something like "weird that other provinces don't complain that Ottawa is in Ontario", but to that I reply "some other provinces DO complain that Ottawa is too "Central Canada"-centric, but that's not something that would be changed by territorial modifications to make Ottawa or Ott-Gat technically its own district".

[lio45]

Originally Posted by CivicBlues

So I've heard. Unfortunately I stopped gaming many many years ago.

Originally Posted by CivicBlues

This discussion reminds me playing an old version of Civilization where if you captured the enemy capital their country is split into 2 distinct and warring parties immediately.

I bet if that happened to Ottawa nothing would occur and the rest of Canada would just go along their merrily bickering ways

Yeah, true I was a big Civ 1 fan. Too busy nowadays to be gaming.

Speaking of which... how familiar are you with Civ 1? There's something offtopic I may want to share (which is totally on topic for the capture of a capital triggering a civil war).

[CivicBlues]

Originally Posted by lio45

Yeah, true I was a big Civ 1 fan. Too busy nowadays to be gaming.

Speaking of which... how familiar are you with Civ 1? There's something offtopic I may want to share (which is totally on topic for the capture of a capital triggering a civil war).

I remember playing it a ton in the early 90s so much that I remember my teacher scolding me to get off the school computer after recess when class was back in session.

Then again I played Civ2 a lot more so a bunch of my memories might be intertwined with those. So much wasted time editing Scenarios and "correcting" the WWII scenario map.

Share away!

[Minato Ku]

Originally Posted by CivicBlues

Noted. But even so, Department 75 is called Paris and is dominated by Paris. Ottawa is in Ontario dominated by Toronto.

The departement of Paris is only the City of Paris.
The suburbs are located in other departements. (Seine et Marne 77, Yvelines 78, Essonne 91, Hauts de Seine 92, Seine Saint-Denis 93, Val de Marne 94, Val d'Oise 95.
In the past the departement 75 was called Seine and was bigger, most of the 92, 93 and 94 were part of the Seine departement). 91, 95 and small part of the 92, 93 and 94 were part of Seine et Oise departement numered 78).

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

Apparently, Laurier is the leader, with references to "The Last Best West", hockey rinks, and Mounties associated with the attributes and abilities of this civilization.

Also in the list of cities, places like Brantford, Guelph, and Peterborough come before Edmonton. Stratford, Belleville, and St-Lin are included but sadly no Okotoks.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Minato Ku

The departement of Paris is only the City of Paris.
The suburbs are located in other departements. (Seine et Marne 77, Yvelines 78, Essonne 91, Hauts de Seine 92, Seine Saint-Denis 93, Val de Marne 94, Val d'Oise 95.
In the past the departement 75 was called Seine and was bigger, most of the 92, 93 and 94 were part of the Seine departement). 91, 95 and small part of the 92, 93 and 94 were part of Seine et Oise departement numered 78).

And of course département 75 (the Ville de Paris city proper) has just over 2 million people, out of the approx. 12 million people in the metropolitan area.