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We all know Queen Victoria picked Ottawa as the capital of Canada for both military (easy to defend) and political reasons (mid way between Toronto and Quebec City). Put this fact aside and considering the current situation 156 years later, what's the best alternative as the Capital of Canada?
It is just purely hypothetical. So refrain from "We are fine with Ottawa as the capital" kind of comments. I am not suggesting moving. What I am interested in discussing is, what other city can better serve as the capital and also as a more livable city?
I won't be in Quebec (which always has the chance of leaving), or anything east of it. It will probably still needs to be in Ontario, where most of the population is.
Maybe Owen Sound? or Kingston? Ottawa is really too freaking cold for a captal city.
I don't think the distance to the border is important, as 1) the US is extremely unlikely to attack Canada 2) if it does, Canada has no chance to win no matter where the captal is.
This does not bode well for the city that first came to my mind: Winnipeg!
Historically, the capital of Canada should probably logically have been Montreal.
Had this happened it would likely be the Buenos Aires of Canada today and the country as a whole would be quite different I imagine.
Agreed. The relationship of Quebec to Canada would also probably have been very different with a capital city at Montreal. Really not sure how that would have played out. Anyways, it couldn't have been in the west because when Ottawa was chosen, when we had a need to establish a capital, the west was an unstable, sparsely populated war zone very remote from significant Canadian population centres. I think the most logical alternative that might have occurred would have been a capital city at Kingston, which would have been okay, but not better then Ottawa which was a great choice. If we're going to be completely ahistorical, Kelowna would have been brilliant as a capital.
Agreed. The relationship of Quebec to Canada would also probably have been very different with a capital city at Montreal. Really not sure how that would have played out. Anyways, it couldn't have been in the west because when Ottawa was chosen, when we had a need to establish a capital, the west was an unstable, sparsely populated war zone very remote from significant Canadian population centres. I think the most logical alternative that might have occurred would have been a capital city at Kingston, which would have been okay, but not better then Ottawa which was a great choice. If we're going to be completely ahistorical, Kelowna would have been brilliant as a capital.
An interesting question is whether the capital in Montreal, within Quebec would have made the rest of Canada more "French" given the greater francophone influence in the capital city and its environs.
Or would the fact that it would have been the capital of a majority anglophone country (already at that time) have made Montreal and even all of Quebec even more English and perhaps fatally weakened French in Canada.
This does not bode well for the city that first came to my mind: Winnipeg!
Historically, the capital of Canada should probably logically have been Montreal.
Had this happened it would likely be the Buenos Aires of Canada today and the country as a whole would be quite different I imagine.
I do like Montreal more than any other city in Canada, but I don't want it to be the capital because
1) the risk of separation (although low now)
2) it is too big, and it is preferable to have a pure political centre
3) too many politics will probably ruin the charm of Montreal
What do you mean it would be a Buenos Aires of Canada? It is as beautiful and Buenos Aires IMO
I think the most logical alternative that might have occurred would have been a capital city at Kingston, which would have been okay, but not better then Ottawa which was a great choice. If we're going to be completely ahistorical, Kelowna would have been brilliant as a capital.
Why do you think Ottawa is a great choice? Other than being equidistant from Toronto/Quebec City, I don't see any advantage.
Military/defense rationale doesn't hold in today's context any more. Ottawa is rather awkwardly located.
As to Kelowa, there is no way the captal should be in the west, so far away from the population centre. Despite all the bandwagon about the rising of the west, Alberta+ BC (24% of total) is only slightly more than Quebec (23.6%) and much less than Ontario (38.4%). Sask and Manitoba combined is less than the city of Toronto.
What do you mean it would be a Buenos Aires of Canada? It is as beautiful and Buenos Aires IMO
In that Montreal would have been the uncontested dominant city of the country (concentrating political and economic power) with no other city even really that close to it. It would probably be close to twice the size of present-day Toronto if this had happened.
Why do you think Ottawa is a great choice? Other than being equidistant from Toronto/Quebec City, I don't see any advantage.
Military/defense rationale doesn't hold in today's context any more. Ottawa is rather awkwardly located.
As to Kelowa, there is no way the captal should be in the west, so far away from the population centre. Despite all the bandwagon about the rising of the west, Alberta+ BC (24% of total) is only slightly more than Quebec (23.6%) and much less than Ontario (38.4%). Sask and Manitoba combined is less than the city of Toronto.
Ottawa is poorly-located for modern transportation purposes but one of its advantages is that it sits on the border between English and French Canada. So people who are associated with the country's government do have a choice of living in an anglophone or francophone environment. And because of this the federal government is pretty much guaranteed of never being completely isolated or alienated from either reality.
Vancouver. Asia is the future, whether you like it or not.
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