Here's some maps of an alt-Canada based on a suggestion by Dan1988 of a Canada with a 42nd parallel north western border.
There are far to many political maps in this thread that ignore physical and demographic history, so I thought I'd rectify that.
POPULATION
Here's the population density and large cities map, this Canada has 70 or so million people by 2010. The strong corridor in the west follows the Missouri river, as the first transpacific railroad was built just north of its banks (for security reasons), and thus you got a strong settlement along there.
For the city names look at the next map.
TRANSPORTATION
Here's a transport and city map (Capitalised cities are the Provincal capitals). Also showing the early transcontinental railroads (which later become high speed rail corridors).
Also shown are the Statistics Canada 'Megapolitain zones', connected polycentric urban regions that are the focus of public transport systems (the idea being you get the train to travel around Megas and fly between them). I got this from the
10 zones defined in the OTL US by an interesting paper (the ATL US has only 8
).
The city names probably give a clue about what was different in British directed settlement
.
REPORTED ANCESTRY AND ACCENT
Here's the map of self reported ancestry, as well as the Statistics Canada accent groups.
Its quite hard to see the Magrebi and Italian zones, but they're small districts in Toronto and Minneborough.
Note, 'Canadian' in the ATL generally means an English speaker with a high degree of french ancestry.
Description of accents for speaking English:
Quebec - as the OTL
Valley - large numbers of French loan words and many Irish inflections
Old UE - The earlier surge in immigration had the old loyalists keeping a seperate identity in some places and a seperate accent, similar to OTL Anglo-american and New England accents.
Maritimer - as the OTL
Lower Peninsula - the 'Typical Canadian', similar to midland American but softened by a great mix of immigrants.
Toronto - similar to the Lower Penninsula influx of slang terminology originating from Toronto's many immigrant communities.
Bridger - due to recieveing media from all directions, can have a blending of dialects. Generally strong Canadian raising.
Superior - Very similar to Laker but does feature the Canadian raising and has many Finnish loanwords and the general dropping of "to the".
Arrowhead - Due to a large number of Yorkshire miners in the 1840s, Arrowhead features standard Wisconsin modified by many Tyke-isms (particularly owt, nowt, an summat), as well as featuring influcence from the Superior accent. Now in decline due to influence from the major urban centres that surround it.
Wisconsin - directly settled by South and South-west English and Irish, the Wisconsin accent is of greater similarity to Canadian and American accents than furthern Western accents (which are generally non-rhotic), but is still distinct, especially in vocabulary (sterotypically 'hark', and 'Scag').
Lakeside - influenced by the large number of African-American and Caribbean immigrants, as well as the old Shawnee regions, lake side resembles a simplified 'urban' version of Canadian.
Laker - What in the OTL would be North Central American English (see
Fargo), but both intensived by isolation and greater Scandinavian proportion and gentled by the influnce of the Wisconsin english. Does not feature the Canadian raising
South-Western - What in the OTL would be called the Inland North/General American accent of the US caused by the mixing and closeness to the border. Generally very clear and understandable. Ironically in the ATL not spoken much in the US (which has had much more Hispanic and other influcence, and the lack of the New Englanders into the mix), so its perceived as a 'Canadian' accent.
Rockies - The blending of the Pacific and Canadian on the praries, high transit population prevents much vocabulary diversification. Often used by newsreaders.
Pacific - Similar to what in the OTL would have been the New Zealand accent, a mix of Southern English and Scottish with some American and Canadian influence. Remains quite flat and with the rising intonation, chinook and south asian loanwords often used.
Sound - Similar to pacific but with greater density of Scottish loanwords
Welsh Coast - due to numerious welsh families and the isolation of the small bays many here speak with a very lyrical version of the pacific accent.
Northern - Pacific, Canadian and First nation mix.
