| ||||||||
| Capital | Kingston | |||||||
| Largest City | Kingston | |||||||
| Other Cities | Sydenham, Frontenac Islands | |||||||
| Language | English, French | |||||||
| Religion Main |
{{{religion}}} | |||||||
| Others | Atheism | |||||||
| Ethnic Groups Main |
Canadian | |||||||
| Others | Europeans, Americans and others | |||||||
| Lieutenant-Governor | Peter Milliken | |||||||
| Premier | John Gerretsen | |||||||
| Area | approx 22,500 km² | |||||||
| Population | approx. 110,464 | |||||||
| Admission | Rejoined Confederation as a territory on July 1st, 2010 | |||||||
Pre-Doomsday[]
At Kingston, the French originally settled in 1673 and established Fort Cataraqui, later to be called Fort Frontenac. The fort was captured and destroyed by the British during the Seven Years' War in 1758. A receiving centre for fleeing refugees from the American Revolution some years later, it became an important center for the United Empire Loyalists. Fort Frontenac was restored to accommodate a military garrison that would defend the new community. Cataraqui was referred to as "the King's Town" or "King's Town" by 1787 in honour of King George III. The name was shortened to "Kingston" in 1788.
During the War of 1812, Kingston was the base for the Lake Ontario division of the Great Lakes British naval fleet. After the war, Britain built Fort Henry and a series of distinctive Martello towers to guard the entrance to the Rideau Canal. Kingston's location at the Rideau Canal entrance to Lake Ontario, after canal construction was completed in 1832, made it the primary military and economic centre of Upper Canada. Kingston had the largest population of any centre in Upper Canada until the 1840s. Military ships were built at the Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard at Point Frederick from 1788 to 1853.
Kingston was chosen as the first capital of the united Canadas and served in that role from 1841 to 1844. The city was considered too small and lacking in amenities, however, and its location made it vulnerable to American attack. Consequently, the capital was moved to alternating locations in Montreal and Toronto, and then later to Ottawa in 1857. Subsequently, Kingston's growth slowed considerably and its national importance declined. Its military role continued, however, and was even expanded.
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Kingston remained an important Great Lakes port and a centre for shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturing, including the Canadian Locomotive Company, at one time the largest locomotive works in the British Empire. Kingston grew moderately through the 20th century through a series of annexations of lands in adjacent Kingston Township, including a 1952 annexation of some 5,500 acres.
Doomsday[]
While Kingston itself avoided being hit during the events of Doomsday, strikes on the cities of Ottawa and Montreal were both observed by area residents. Radiation from strikes in the Golden Horseshoe would arrive in its aftermath, but would largely avoid the city to the south.
Post-Doomsday[]
Within days after the attacks, local residents were surprised to see a party arrive in the city from the north, containing the Prime Minister, as well as the British Prime Minister, some minor officials, a few surviving MPs, and their armed escort.
The group would spend several days in the city, recuperating from their ordeal and consolidating their position.
As September turned into October, the group made preparations to leave for points eastward, where they believed safe territory would remain. Soldiers from the region, as well as a fair number of cadets from the Maritimes attending the Royal Military College under one of the cadet squadron commanders, Walter Natynczyk - later a Canadian Prime Minister - would accompany them through the chaos expected between the area and Atlantic Canada. The remainder of the soldiers and cadets would remain, as the area was expected to remain fairly safe, under a provisional government for the area, and likely the new provincial government in light of the destruction of Toronto that they had begun to receive word of. This government, the Kingston Provisional Authority, consisted largely of local officials and military men, was to maintain order in the area and to try and secure the region. The Prime Minister promised that support would be sent as soon as possible, but acknowledged it could be several years. One of the surviving MPs who had come with the Prime Minister - the Minister of Agriculture, Eugene Whelan - was left in charge of the provisional authority.
On October 6th, the Prime Minister, Thatcher, most of the MPs and officials, as well as a bigger escort, left Kingston for the northeast, hoping to arrive at the Gulf by the end of the year. The last contact with the party, on October 14th, placed them near Montreal, going around the ruins to the south, and had the Prime Minister not feeling very well.
| |||||||
| Capital | Kingston | ||||||
| Largest city | Kingston | ||||||
| Other cities | Sydenham, Frontenac Islands | ||||||
| Language | English, French | ||||||
| Demonym | Kingstonites | ||||||
| Governor | Eugene Whelan | ||||||
| Premier | John Gerretsen | ||||||
| Area | approx 3,000 km² | ||||||
| Population | 105,464 | ||||||
| Established | September 30th, 1983 | ||||||
| Annexation | to Canada | ||||||
| date | July 1st, 2010 | ||||||
| Currency | Canadian Dollar, barter | ||||||
Early Years[]
The Provisional Authority quickly set about securing the region, knowing that it would need secure farms to feed the local population and any refugees that remained. Portions of Frontenac, Lanark, Leeds, Grenville, Lennox, and Addington counties were brought under the control of the Authority, though the onset of winter stopped them there.
As the government felt that they could control no more territory, they hunkered down in what they controlled.
Raiders[]
In 1988, reports of bandit attacks on remote farms near the edge of the safe zone began to spark exponentially, largely to the east of Kingston. These attacks quickly became more and more of a problem, and soon the armed forces under the control of the authority had to give up some areas to them.
However, before the raiders could press further into territory under the Authority, they began to retreat for some reason, though they did not leave the area completely. This was thought - and later proven to be - because of pressure from areas to the east, believed by the leaders to be a Canadian government of some sort, though completely unproven at the time.
Unfortunately, the damage caused by the raiders would mean that much of the next few years would be spent repairing areas that they had occupied for a while, in a slightly shrunken area. The Authority, however, continued to apply pressure to the raiders, who slowly began to give up territory, though not really due to actions by their forces.
In February of 1989, fishing boats out on the lake encountered other vessels, coming from the south. They identified themselves as being from a government set up at the city of Oswego. In April, representatives from the two governments would meet out on the lake, and after finding out they were both fighting raiders from the same direction, they agreed to cooperate against them. Existing hockey teams in Oswego would join up with the newly-founded KHL, since it was far larger, for better competition.
In 1990, forces guarding the eastern frontier spotted a small uniformed force off in the distance, under fire from the raiders. Realizing that something was up, they opened fire on the raiders, and charged in support of the other force. Upon being relieved by the Authority troops, the nine surviving members of the other force revealed themselves to be the survivors of a force sent against the raiders by the Canadian government, now based in St. Johns. The Authority was updated on the situation towards the east, as best the soldiers could supply it, and what had happened to the Prime Minister and his party after they had left the city. When told of his death, they were truly saddened.
With this knowledge, they knew the cause of their safety from the Raiders. However, they also could not get any news through the raiders - now calling themselves the "Lawrence Raiders" - to Canadian forces in the Maritimes. Their allies in Oswego were informed of this as well. Pressure was also applied to the Oswegians at the same time, to prevent another large dispute over the government there.
The next few years would see continued advancement to the east, as the raiders pulled back slowly. Given all things, they concentrated on moving eastward, both to keep the raiders at bay and to make contact with St. Johns easier. As a result, however, little activity to the north or west occurred, with the biggest move in that direction being an expedition into the ruins of Oshawa in 1997, where they hoped to scavenge useful materials from the abandoned automotive factories - it was ultimately not successful.
Oswegian forces, after a joint offensive in the summer of 1990, were able to send forces to aid the Kingstonians, as the offensive had thrown the Raiders back from the southern shores of the lake. It was very effective, as the Raiders could not move forces from one area to aid another. Forces sent from Oswego have proven very effective in forcing the Raiders back since that time.
Superior and Canada[]
In 2000, explorers arrived in the territory of the Authority from the north, having apparently came from the ruins of Ottawa. They were from the American survivor nation of Superior, based on the Upper Peninsula of the former state of Michigan, and they told of other city-states in Ontario, as well as their peaceful annexation of some areas of the former province. After hearing this, they decided to not tell the Superiorans of the survivors of the Canadian force, fearing some sort of action on their part. Of course, when they later encountered explorers from Aroostook, this decision was rendered moot, as they told the Superiorans about the survival of the Canadian government anyway. Naturally, the Oswegians were also informed.
This did, of course, prove beneficial for them - the Canadian government finally learned of their survival, having previously only heard rumors of it. They began to shuttle small amounts of supplies to them by air, though only occasionally.
With contact finally restored, the Authority finally got some vindication to its long-held position. On all sides of Raider-controlled areas, renewed pressure was applied. Yet, while successful at first, this pressure eventually stalled for some reason. However, forces had managed to reclaim the remainder of territory that had been seized from them, and to even advance a little further, reaching areas near the ruined Nepean suburb of Ottawa in 2006.
Kingston would receive information in 2008 that was slightly disturbing, which they passed on to the Canadian government when the next planes landed with arms. While far from conclusive, this showed that foreign elements had delivered a shipment of arms to the raiders in February of 2008 north of the ruins of Ottawa. A manifest was also found, detailing what it contained.
Saguenay War, and the Re-joining[]
When disputes between Saguenay and the Canadian government erupted into war, with Superior and the ADC joining in on the respective sides. The Authority, cautious of the Superiorans, who were passing through raider-held areas to their north with impunity - showing that they were likely the ones from 2008 - did not openly join, for they knew what the net result would be if they had tried. However, they did increase their presence in areas near raider territory, and began to make small attacks and raids again, taking more territory and penetrating as far as Montreal while raiding.
With the end of the war in 2010, and the effective defeat of Saguenay and Superior, along with their cession of supplying the Raiders, the Canadian government was finally able to undertake an effective offensive against the Lawrence Raiders. Forces under the Authority continued their efforts as well.
By mid-June, in concert with Vermont and Aroostook forces, the Canadian government had managed to force the raiders south of the river, for the first time in more than two decades. While they continued to raid the opposite side of it, the raiders were now a much smaller threat. As a result, land access, while not completely secure, was finally restored to Kingston. With this, after discussion with government officials, the Provisional Authority finally was able to drop the "Provisional" part of its name, and rejoin Confederation, though only as a territory. Called "Eastern Ontario," it officially came into being on July 1st - Canada Day - with the promise of Kingston being the new capital of a re-formed province of Ontario sometime in the future.
Efforts have now begun in the region to rebuild infrastructure, and local militia, in concert with a newly-arrived battalion of Canadian soldiers, have begun to excavate the ruins of Oshawa and Ottawa for anything usable. They also continue to work on eliminating the Lawrence Raiders. Eugene Whelan also finally quit his position after the re-joining, and a new Lieutenant-Governor was appointed - Peter Milliken, the former leader of the local Liberal Party, in what was a concession the Liberal members of the coalition government. Areas that has been under the control of the militia near raider territory have been transferred to the Canadian Army, though as areas are retaken from the raiders it will be returned to them, plus more, until around the old provincial border, though it is likely that they will receive the area that was once the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality in Quebec as well.
Government and Politics[]
For the longest time, Kingston was governed by a Governor, Eugene Whelan, and a Premier. All decisions had to be run by Eugene first, but the Premier would only rarely be overruled, and as things turned out, it was usually with regards to matters of agriculture.
Since re-confederation, and the retirement of Eugene, the new Lieutenant-Governor has taken a role more like someone in that position normally would have, and the Premier has given control over the militia to the Canadian Army.
The territorial legislature, the last elections to which were held on November 14th, 2011, consists of twenty-five members. This includes fourteen Liberals, under Premier John Gerretsen, formerly the Premier of the Provisional Authority and whose son is also the mayor of Kingston, eight Conservatives, two New Democrats, and a single member from the Canada First Party.
Elections for local members of the House of Commons also took place at the same time. The results from the seven federal seats designated in the territory returned the following MPs:
- Helen Cooper, Progressive Conservative Party, Frontenac-Sydenham
- Gord Brown, Progressive Conservative Party, Gananoque-Brockville-Perth
- Don Rogers, Canada First Party, Kingston East
- Harvey Rosen, Liberal Party, Kingston North
- Leonard V. Johnson, New Democratic Party, Kingston-Queens
- Ted Hsu, Liberal Party, Kingston West
- Lyle Vanclief, Liberal Party, Prince Edward-Bellville
Economy[]
Most economic activity in the area today is based around agriculture, and supporting a military. However, ongoing work has begun into the re-opening of old industries, closed since the 1960s, such as the old Canadian Locomotive Company facilities.
Growth in trade on the lakes in recent years has also led to the rebirth of the harbor district, which is expected to increase now that a land route northeastwards has been opened.
Sports and Culture[]
Since the events of Doomsday, the government has been attempting to restore their hockey team, the Frontenacs, but have been unsuccessful as of yet due to the lack of a major league to play in. With the restoration of the area to Canada, the locals are hopeful that this will finally occur in the Canadian Hockey League, though this will still be limited until the land routes are totally secure.
However, that does not mean that a league does not exist. The Kingston Hockey League, founded in 1988 as a means to help morale, is a very active league, with teams in both Kingston - Now Eastern Ontario - and Oswego. It has three divisions, two of which are in the Kingston region. The winners of the division playoffs, along with a tournament host, compete in a four team tournament to determine the league champion.
Locals are considered to be more war-like than most Canadians, and very loyal to the Canadian government.
Theater, music, and acting are big in the region, and productions have occurred weekly for years.
Military[]
Primarily, armed forces in the area, even after re-confederation, still consist of the Kingston Militia and Coast Guard. These two forces have their basis in both the remnants of forces in the area at Doomsday, and the Royal Military College. Overall, they were commanded by a defense minister, who the branch heads reported to - now, it is a general appointed by St. John's, but overall the setup remains the same otherwise. Currently, this role is held by Lieutenant-General A.J. Howard, one of the cadets who accompanied the Prime Minister eastwards in 1983.
The Militia itself is composed almost entirely of land forces. There are some planes and helicopters under their command, but there being no fuel or parts to keep them running, or repair the effects of the EMP, has led to their disuse - they did not fly for two decades from the mid-eighties until the mid-aughties. In recent years, however, they have begun to fly again, with fuel and parts imported to fix and fly them. They are still used sparingly, however. Two battalions of Canadian regular troops, and a small detachment of planes, have also been attached to the militia since the summer of 2010. It is likely that the surviving planes will be incorporated into the Canadian Air Force sometime in the near future. Major-General Glynne Hines is the current commander of the militia, with Brigadier Generals Richard Dickson and J.P.A Pelletier serving as the Chief of Staff and the Deputy Commander, respectively, with Pelletier also commanding the airplanes.
The Coast Guard was formed from the remnants of the Canadian Coast Guard that was stationed on the eastern half of the lake at Doomsday. Over the years, the shipyards in Kingston have added more to its number, but a shortage of materials and fuel has meant that the number of vessels has increased little. Since 2000, construction has increased, even more since 2010, and new designs from the east are starting to be built, both here and in Oswego. Commodore R.M. Caspick is the current commander of the guard.
International Relations[]
When the United Communities was formed, the Authority was among those invited to join. However, they declined, citing the rightful authority of the Canadian government in the region - envoys were even reportedly called traitors. Either way, it severely damaged its relations with the other surviving Ontarian city-states. Relations with Superior were even worse, though its anti-raider activities did endear them to the North Pennsylvanians, who fought in the region for a couple of months during the war.
With re-confederation, the era of international relations has largely come to a close. However, given that they are still largely isolated from the rest of Canada, the Premier still holds some authority to negotiate with the city-states, in minor issues, so long as St.Johns is notified by radio. Oswego, however, is a major exception, and the locals have been allowed to continue as before in that regard.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
