Antonia and Canals
Antonia's year at loose ends
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Once William is shipped off to Canada in the spring of 1840, Antonia comes to London. It is in everybody's interest to have Antonia be seen and be seen in a good light. It also will allow her to get more used to English customs, and become more fluent in the English language. Antonia decides that the best way to spend her time is to volunteer with the Anglican deaconesses in London. She is accompanied by 3 other noble Portuguese ladies who are meant as companions, but also chaperones. They, perforce, follow Antonia into the mission work.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]While the Methodists, for instance, require lifetime commitment to join their diaconal order, the Anglicans have found it worthwhile to allow (mostly upper-class) women to be able to volunteer for specific terms (say a year or two at a time). This serves various purposes. 1) it allows and encourages these women to engage in Christian mission (which helps their souls); 2) it increases the visibility and financial resources available to the diaconate (which helps the poor); and 3) the alumnae of the program provide a source for future funding and political support (which helps the whole project). [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]It is clear that William's situation (and hence marriage plans) will be in limbo for at least year[1], so Antonia can afford to sign up for a one year commitment. She's just marking time, so she might as well make her self useful – and the couple can use all the good PR they can get at this time.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]So, Antonia starts work with the poor in London. She is horrified at the conditions she sees, and throws herself into the work. What started as a 'do something appropriately charitable to do good and look good', becomes vitally important to her. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Another side effect of this is that 2 of Antonia's 3 companions are so taken with the deaconesses they are serving with that they actually convert to Anglicanism. It's not so much the deep faith they live by (they all have relatives in convents with that level of faith), it's the practicality of the faith's expression. Their pious religious (i.e. nun/monk) relatives are shut away in convents and monasteries – here people live out their faith following the footsteps of Christ himself.[2][/FONT]
Other transport
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The St. Lawrence CanalSystem system is a huge advantage for Canada, but although the canals have been operating for only 20 years, it's clear that they are obsolete. They have been incredibly helpful for Canada, allowing exports of timber from the entire Great Lakes region (instead of only from Québec and the Ottawa River, as OTL), and ores and processed metals from the various mines (again, not possible OTL), as well, of course, as the flood of grain flowing to England, increasing every year. Still, most of those goods really have to be transhipped either at Montreal or at Québec, and fewer and fewer of the Lakers find it economical to continue direct to Britain as time goes on. The situation only gets worse with the arrival of the much larger transatlantic steamships.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Even at the time of construction, the CanalSystem couldn't handle Ships of the Line – nor even frigates, but only smaller war-vessels. With the success of the new steam ships, it is obvious that the canal system needs a massive upgrade. Plans are drawn up for a second canal with deeper and wider canals and locks. It is estimated that the locks should be 300'x50'x16'[3] Although plans are completed, and surveying done, it is perfectly obvious that the new canal won't be ready by the time that war with the US comes (as it is strongly suspected it will). Thus, some work starts, but higher priority is accorded to e.g. rail. One portion that is started immediately is a large dredging project in the river near Montreal. The largest ocean ships had not been able to get all the way to Montreal due to shoals and shallows, and the dredging will help that – as well as preparing for the coming of the 2nd CanalSystem.[/FONT]
–
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]1 The Government is planning to wait until at least the spring of 1841 before making any kind of judgement. This gives William a year in Canada to prove his discretion and his worth, and it gives them all that time to make preparations (leaking info with the right spin, preparing legislation to enable the conversion and change in succession to happen, give Antonia time for her PR to work).[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]2 This is, of course, the flip side of William's conversion – and not welcomed either by the powers that be. Note that every branch of Christianity has its strengths and weaknesses, and different traditions fit better with different people with different personalities and styles of serving the Lord. Where William is entranced by the mystical power of the Eucharist, these ladies are entranced by the powerful love of Service. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]3 (approximately 90mx15mx4.8m). Compare to OTL's 3rd Welland Canal (started 1872, in operation 1881, completed 1887) with locks 270x45x14 (81mx13.5mx4.2m); or TTL's first canal system 100'x20'x7' (30mx6mx2.1m) – all metric measurements approximate. OTL's 3rd Welland canal doubled the size of the second, and was already visibly too small by the time it was completed. ITTL, the 2nd CanalSystem is some 2.5x the first, and will be adequate – for a while. While it would be nice to make it even bigger, there are some limits on what's feasible in a single jump.[/FONT]
