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Commonwealth of Victoria
Timeline: 1983: Doomsday
Flag Coat of Arms
Flag Coat of Arms
Location of Victoria
Current borders of Victoria.
Motto
Semper Liber (Latin)
("Forever Free")
Capital
(and largest city)
Victoria City
Other cities Aberdeen, Comox Valley, Kelowna, Mt Vernon, Nanaimo, Olympia
Language English
Demonym Victorian
Government Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
  Legislature Parliament
Monarch William V
Governor General Adrian McLellan
Premier Jacob Birch
Area 185,000 km²
Population 2,956,889 (2016 Census) 
Established Oct 3, 1986
Currency Victorian Pound

The Commonwealth of Victoria is a Canadian survivor nation centered on Vancouver Island in former British Columbia, and encompassing the BC coastline and the northern coast of Washington State.

History[]

See main article: History of Victoria

Government and Politics[]

Vicparliament

Victoria Parliament Building

The government of Victoria is a Constitutional Monarchy and the head of State is the British monarch, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor, whose duties include calling elections and diplomatic relations. The head of government is the Premier, who is the head of the majority party elected to parliament.

The electoral system of Victoria is a proportional system. Each electoral district is allotted ten seats in parliament, and each of those ten seats is determined by a percentage of the popular vote. In the case of an independent getting large amounts of popular vote, that candidate is given parliamentary votes equal to the number of seats that would be allotted to the party were the candidate affiliated with one. Elections are held every five years on the second Wednesday of February. Floor crossing is not allowed, a candidate elected as a member of a party must resign when changing party affiliation, or serve out the remainder of the term representing the party they were elected as.

The Washington Legislative Assembly was established by the Protectorate Act of 1990. It is made up of a council of representatives from the major towns of the Washington Protectorate. They determined official policy of the Washington territories and appointed a representative to parliament who had the same powers and responsibilities as a normal MP (Member of Parliament). It was abolished after the 2010 election due to the Washington Protectorate voting to be integrated with Victoria.

Administrative Divisions of Victoria[]

Victoria is divided into six Provinces and one Federal district. Each province has the power to elect its own Governor and Governing Council, draft its own legislation, maintain its own police force if it chooses, etc. However all provinces are still subject to Federal law. These provinces and Federal District are:

Division Population Capital Map
North Charlotte 201,645 Prince Rupert
83DD-VictoriaProvinces

Provinces of Victoria

Columbia 322,028 Powell River
Vancouver Island 648,620 Port Alberni
Okanagan 449,588 Kelowna
Olympus 547,614 Olympia
Washington 470,436 Mt. Vernon
Victoria City Federal District 316,958 N/A

Political Parties[]

There are currently three major political parties holding seats in the Commonwealth of Victoria

  • Social Credit Party: A fiscal and socially conservative party, their policies have become for the most part unpopular among the populace. They were the party in power during the 1983 attacks.
  • Social Democratic Party: Formerly the Social Survival Party, A Social democrat party that was created from an amalgam of the New Democratic Party and several other socialist parties. They have remained in power since the founding of the Commonwealth.
  • Liberal Capitalist Party: A libertarian party devoted to privatising nationalised industries and re-establishing contact with the outside world. Currently the official Opposition party.

Other minor parties include:

  • Canadian Reunification Party: A single issue party advocating re-unification with the Canadian Remainder Provinces.
  • Conservative Socialist Coalition: A social conservative, fiscal socialist party. Their opinions are quite militant, and their popularity is growing in the rural areas of the Prince Rupert area.
Name Ideology Foundation Seats in the Legislative Assembly
Social Credit Party
Conservatism 1935 Four
Social Democratic Party
Social Democracy 1984 (renamed 2011) 55
Liberal Capitalist Party
Libertarian 1991 30

Foreign Relations[]

The Commonwealth of Victoria has made contact with several of the emerging governments in the days after Doomsday, and political efforts have increased in recent years. Victoria has established embassies in most nations of the Americas as well as the Pacific rim, and are currently focusing on establishing official relations with European nations, but currently only has one embassy serving the the Celtic Alliance, another serving the entire Organisation of British Nations, and one serving the Nordic Union.

Victoria's most important trade and military partners are the ANZC, North American Union, San Juan, Canada, and the Oregon Free State, and other important economic partners are the USSR and South American Confederation.

Victoria has mostly avoided conflict with other states post Doomsday, but in recent history has had strained relations with Alaska and Prince George over territorial disputes, and Astoria due to apparent military belligerence.

Representatives from Victoria and San Juan have had talks about Victorian annexation of San Juan as a semi-autonomous province or as an addition to the Washington province (As an addition to the Washington province, San Juan would receive much greater benefits than as a semi-autonomous province). This movement had lost sentiment after large numbers of inland Washingtonians immigrated to the islands in 2006, wanting to end the Victorian annexation of former Washington state. But new talks have sparked a resurgence in the movements support, making Victorian annexation a very popular idea.

Victoria is a League of Nations member as well as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Military[]

Both CFB Comox and CFB Esquimalt survived the attacks of 1983 leaving Victoria with most of Canada's Pacific fleet and Pacific maritime air patrol squadrons under their command. This leaves Victoria as a major naval power in the region as well as having a major air defence presence. The addition of the northern territories of the Washington Protectorate gave Victoria control of the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. While many of the pilots and staff had moved on following the attacks, much of the aircraft and facilities remained.

HMVSResurrection

The HMVS Resurrection being moved after repairs were completed.

The Social Survival Party government instituted a military incentive program, providing government housing and supplies for those enlisting in the Victorian military. This took advantage of the many refugees that had found themselves homeless and without work but ensured that Victoria had an ample defence and expeditionary force. The training facilities at Comox and Esquimalt ensured a highly trained naval and air force, but the lack of any army training facilities and the destruction or isolation of the majority of the 39 Brigade leaves the majority of the Victorian Army with little training compared to the other branches of the military so far as well as limited numbers of armoured vehicles, but several artillery guns. As such, the army is mainly a light infantry force. By the beginning of 2010, the army had been fully trained by experts from the ANZC and the USSR. On the 10th of January 2010, a complete brigades worth of vehicles from the USSR was delivered to the Army, including T-80 MBTs and BMP-2 IFVs. The army also purchase M109 SPGs from the CANZ, as well as M198 field howitzers, citing their use of old NATO 155mm shells. The army was fully mechanized by the end of 2010. Construction of Army facilities is finished, the major army installations being Fort Bennet in Mount Vernon, and Fort Grant in Nanaimo. Fort Elizabeth in Prince Rupert was constructed to aid in the defence of Prince Rupert against Prince George raiders, as well as a staging ground for potential military action against the city-state. Fort Andrew is currently beginning construction in Olympia to facilitate operations in southern Washington state. It was finished in October 2010

Starting January 1 2010, the various military forces of Victoria were reorganized into the Royal Victorian Defence Force. Independent command centers will be set up in Esquimalt for Naval Command, Comox Valley for Air Command, and Nanaimo for Ground Command. A joint command center will be set up in Victoria to coordinate commands. Combined strength of all three forces is currently approx. 23,000 strong, with approx. 35,000 reserves. The uniforms of the RVDF are based on the the pre-Doomsday Canadian uniform, albeit made of hemp and nettle cloth.

The Washington Defence Force is a force made up of mostly Washington territories volunteers trained and armed by the Victorian forces. They serve under command of the the RVDF Ground Command. They became part of the RVDF as of the February 2010 election when the Washington Protectorate was officially integrated into Victoria. It maintains a regular strength of approx. 6,000 men.

The carrier HMVS Resurrection was refit as a mobile aid station with dormitories and medical facilities to house 1,000 refugees, although it does maintain facilities for limited air presence. Currently stationed off shore of Olympia providing medical aid.

Economy[]

The economy following Doomsday was heavily socialised in order to survive. While trying to maintain an aura of capitalism in a socialist economy, the government ended up fueling inflation which led to much needed economic reforms. All non-essential service industries were privatised, while utilities and resource industries remained under government control. This balance ensured crown coffers remained full from the sales of raw materials to the private sector, allowing for the large amount of public works projects needed in the post-doomsday world. It also ensured a measure of economic growth. Industries are also heavily regulated to ensure the fair treatment of consumers and employees.

Currently, the largest industry in Victoria is construction. With many new companies and industries starting up due to the lack of foreign imported goods, many new factories and offices are being constructed around the country. Immigration is also a factor. Due to the stability of Vancouver Island, and re-establishment of regular transportation to and from Washington and Vancouver Island, many people from the Washington territories sick of the hard life and reconstruction efforts move to Vancouver Island to seek a better life. This has fed an increased demand for housing in many of the urban centers of Vancouver Island. With new mining, logging, agricultural, and manufacturing jobs opening up in the northern regions undamaged by the Doomsday bombs, many sleepy towns are becoming larger urban centers.

With the destruction of most major aluminium production facilities on doomsday, the aluminium smelting facility in Kitimat became even more important. Following contact with the ANZC the plant was reopened and with imports of bauxite from Australia, the plant became a key supplier of aluminium to both Victoria and the ANZC. Alcan, the company that owned the smelting plant was mostly destroyed in the strike on Montreal, so the local management of the plant restarted the company basing its corporate headquarters in Prince Rupert. With the increased need for aluminium with frames needed for airships and such, Alcan's aluminium had worldwide demand. In 1995 a second smelting facility was opened in Prince Rupert, and in 2008 a 3rd was opened in Port Hardy. Alcan is currently one of the largest producers of finished aluminium in the world.

Aerospace is becoming a major industry in Victoria. In the first years following Doomsday, Viking air, a small aerospace manufacturer based out of Sidney, but nonetheless the largest aerospace manufacturer in post-doomsday BC, was nationalised. With the aging CF101 Voodoo squadrons out of CFB Comox nearing the end of their lifespan, it was deemed necessary to have a viable aerospace company to fill the void left by the destruction of the major aircraft manufacturers. Facilities were expanded and research began into new designs. When Everett was brought into the Washington Protectorate, the abandoned Boeing factory was granted to Viking Air to use as they saw fit. The company was privatised in 2006 as part of the SSP Economic stimulus plan. Viking Air is now one of the top manufacturers of airliners, and the sole supplier of military fixed wing aircraft to the Victorian Forces.

Culture[]

Victoria as a city is likely the most "British" of Canadian cities. Its architecture is purposefully classic, its public transit uses double decker buses, and many UK English terms and slang are used. Becoming the dominant urban center of the Commonwealth of Victoria has caused this British culture to spread amongst the surviving populace of the Commonwealth.

After the adoption of the constitution, the old CBC stations were nationalised by the Victorian government, the company was rebranded the Victorian Territorial Broadcasting Company and reorganized into a more BBC-like system. Advertising space was cut and a license fee was added to all television subscribers to fund original programming and news. All other private broadcasters were left private in order to promote accountability. The VTBC would be ineffective as a propaganda delivery system if private broadcasters are able to counter the claims of the VTBC.

Sports[]

Hockey is still a major part of the culture of the Victorian people, and Doomsday wiped out or cut off most of the leagues or teams. In 1994 Lieutenant-Governor Stephen Cromwell announced plans to establish a Victorian Hockey League, rebuilt from the old British Columbia Hockey League. An organized sports league was viewed as a way for people to get their minds off the struggles of post-doomsday life as well as building town pride. With a grant from the Ministry of Social Projects, he had arenas built in Comox Valley, Port Angeles, Prince Rupert, and Campbell River. Teams would play for a cup commissioned by the LG in the spirit of Lord Stanley himself. While officially the prize is referred to as the VHL Championship, it is more commonly known as the Cromwell Cup. It was established in 1996 with 10 teams in Prince Rupert, Campbell River, Powell River, Comox Valley, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Duncan, Victoria, Saanich, and Port Angeles. David Andrews, former Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the Victoria Cougars team that played in the WHL at Doomsday, was named head of the League.

In 1998, teams were added to Bellingham and Mt Vernon. In 2004 a team was added to Everett and the league was organized into two Conferences, Island, and Mainland. 2006 saw the addition of teams in Port Hardy and Kitimat, in the Island and Mainland Conferences, respectively. In 2008, teams were added at Parksville and Sooke, in the Island Conference, as well. The 2010 season saw a team at Olympia join the league.

And, with the Okanagan annexation in March of 2010, and their teams, a new structure was needed. Accompanied by the addition of a team at Aberdeen were six teams in the Okanagan region at Kelowna, Merrit, Osoyoos, Penticton, Summerland, and Vernon. A new layout was also announced, with the conferences keeping their names, divided into two divisions each - North and South in the Island Conference, as well as Okanagan and Washington in the Mainland Conference - as well as a slight moving around of the teams for travel reasons. Six teams in each division, except the South, where there would be seven. Thus, there is currently 25 teams in the league:

Island Conference
North Division

  • Campbell River Tyees
  • Comox Valley Chiefs
  • Kitimat Totems
  • Port Hardy Eagles
  • Powell River Regals
  • Prince Rupert Sea Wolves

South Division

  • Cowichan Capitals
  • Nanaimo Clippers
  • Parksville Breakers
  • Port Alberni Bulldogs
  • Saanich Braves
  • Sooke Thunderbirds
  • Victoria Cougars

Mainland Conference
Okanagan Division

  • Kelowna Packers
  • Merrit Centennials
  • Osoyoos Sting
  • Penticton Vees
  • Summerland Suns
  • Vernon Vikings

Washington Division

  • Aberdeen Lumbermen
  • Bellingham Ice Hawks
  • Everett Silvertips
  • Mt. Vernon Giants
  • Olympia Stars
  • Port Angeles Ravens

To emphasize Victoria's British roots, traditional British sports of cricket, rugby union and association football have been heavily promoted by the government. Every public school in Victoria is required to include these sports in their athletic activities (the Washington territories will be required to do so as well beginning in January 2010). This has been criticized by the CRUSA as an attempt to "De-Americanize" the youth of former Washington.

While there are no organized professional leagues, baseball, Canadian football and American football are still popular in Washington and other territories, with organized competitions at the youth and amateur adult levels and in the middle and high schools.

Rugby has proved especially popular in the region, with four separate clubs surviving in Victorian territory: the Castaway Wanderers, Cowichan RFC, James Bay Athletic Association, and Velox Valhallians R.F.C. The four clubs compete in a tournament in downtown Victoria each fall.

Media[]

Radio: The Victorian Territorial Broadcasting Company operates a national radio station that is broadcast in all populated areas of the Commonwealth through a series of local affiliates. It provides news, talk radio, and classical music, on a common schedule for all affiliates. There are also many smaller local stations broadcasting a variety of programming. Victorian copyright law deems any music produced prior to doomsday in the public domain and may be broadcast without need of royalties or fees of any kind. This has made classic rock stations quite common and popular.

Television: The Victorian Territorial Broadcasting Company was the first station to return to the air following Doomsday, and is available over the air to all with a television. It provides national news, sports, and original programming produced using taxes and fees from entertainment products and cable television services. The two major competing private national networks are CHEK TV and VTV. Smaller regional channels have emerged such as the Washington Television Network (WTN) serving the Bellingham/Mt Vernon/Everett area, and North Coast Television serving the Prince Rupert/Terrace/Queen Charlotte's area.

Newspapers: The Victoria Herald is the only national newspaper in circulation though some local papers such as the Victoria Metro Post have become available outside their local markets.

Movies: A small movie industry has sprouted in Nanaimo with studios such as Harbour Pictures and Omega Level Pictures. Since acquiring Island Films in 2010, output of films has increased slightly with the creative resources of Omega Level Entertainment behind it.

Education[]

Hatley Castle

Hatley Castle on the grounds of Royal Roads Military College in Victoria.

Victoria is one of the most well developed nations in the world for education, as public education was mostly uninterrupted in the Canadian territories, and it had two major universities survive Doomsday as well as many smaller colleges. The University of Victoria was one of the more prestigious universities in Canada before doomsday and today is in the top 5 best schools in the world. It offers degrees in a multitude of fields, as well as serving as the top research university in North America.

Royal Roads Military College was a major Naval Officer training facility offering full academic degrees. After Doomsday, facilities were expanded for Army and Air Force officer training and is now one of the most prestigious military universities in the world as well as being the center of military research in Victoria.

Victoria's position as a world leader in post secondary education made it the obvious choice for the headquarters of the WCRB Council for the Advancement of Higher Education, which promotes the establishment of colleges and universities in emerging economies, as well as educational exchange between nations.

Religion[]

Breakdown of religious association as of the 2005 Census (does not include Washington Territories):

Religious Denomination % of Population
No Religion (Atheist/Agnostic/Humanist/Etc.) 45.2%
Protestant 31.1%
Catholic 18.6%
Eastern (Hindu/Buddhist/Taoist/Etc.) 3.7%
Muslim 0.8%
Other 0.6%

Clothing[]

With the collapse of international trade, Victorians have had to adapt in terms of clothing, Where formerly cotton was king, nowadays most Victorian clothing is made of either nettle cloth or hemp cloth. A significant industry has also started for cedar-bark cloth, especially for high-end clothing. Brands like Cedar Life, Comox Living, and Downtowner have recently gained popularity in ANZC and internationally for their revolutionary style and materials.

See Also[]

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