AHC/WI: Rupert's Land and *Canada separate countries?

[CaliBoy1990]

Pretty much as it says on the label. What if the Canadas and Rupert's Land stayed separate? What would Britain name Rupert's Land once it became an actual country? Something like Manitoba, perhaps, like in Sobel's "For Want of a Nail"? Or something else? And would Canada still be Canada? Or could it be renamed Laurentia, after the river(inspired by "The Story of a Party")?

Bonus points awarded if the eastern parts of Rupert's Land(roughly from the 89th parallel on east)are either ceded to *Canada or become an autonomous primarily First Nations polity, and/or British Columbia is annexed by the U.S. and becomes a state.

Double bonus points awarded if the Maritime Colonies join up with Newfoundland and form their own nation; this may include just Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Anticosti Island at the minimum, and *New Brunswick & *Prince Edward Island may remain as part of *Canada. And/or if *Rupert's Land gets to keep part of the Pacific watershed north of *B.C., and has at least one city of 40,000 inhabitants somewhere in there.

And triple bonus points awarded if a plausible way is found for Britain to hand over a few of it's Caribbean colonies to *Canada, and if the former *Rupert's Land has 20 million people by 2000.

The POD may be at any time after the American Revolution, up until 1869.

 

[CaliBoy1990]

Is nobody interested? Really?

Hope this wasn't too tough for you guys.....

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

Don't have Confederation in 1867 succeed (or have it just be the Maritimes, as originally planned). Without a united Canada, Rupert's land is likely not handed over.

In any case, without a united Canada, a CPR across the Shield north of Superior is financially impossible (not just insanely difficult, as OTL), and 95% of the settlement of the Prairies happens north from Minnesota, up the Red River. And 95% of the commerce, too.

When the Prairies vote to join the US, Britain gives them up as a loss, and throws in the rest of Rupertsland (i.e. the taiga and Arctic) because they have no connexion to Canada (i.e. Ontario and Quebec) and it isn't viable on its own.

Of course, Rupertsland would be part of the US, not independent, but they wouldn't be part of Canada then.

 

[EnglishCanuck]

Don't have Confederation in 1867 succeed (or have it just be the Maritimes, as originally planned). Without a united Canada, Rupert's land is likely not handed over.

My understanding is that having Confederation fail is a tad difficult since the United Canadas decided they wanted in on the deal to take advantage of trade opportunities, and that the Maritimes had no great objection until after the London Conference when it seemed as though Ontario and Quebec would have disproportionate political power?

I've tended to assume it would take either the outright failure of the Great Coalition in 1864 or perhaps a Governor General who wasn't willing to use his influence to help see Confederation through.

When the Prairies vote to join the US, Britain gives them up as a loss, and throws in the rest of Rupertsland (i.e. the taiga and Arctic) because they have no connexion to Canada (i.e. Ontario and Quebec) and it isn't viable on its own.

Of course, Rupertsland would be part of the US, not independent, but they wouldn't be part of Canada then.

British Columbia would probably be apart of the US at that point as well perhaps, unless Britain was reluctant to give it up as a loss?

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

British Columbia would probably be apart of the US at that point as well perhaps, unless Britain was reluctant to give it up as a loss?

Given that BC's connexion with the Empire was by sea, I think there's a excellent chance BC stays British - but never becomes 'Canadian', whatever that means in such a TL.

Of course, it is certainly possible that it ends up deciding to go with the States, but I really don't think it's guaranteed, at all.

 

[ramones1986]

I'm thinking of two scenarios:
Scenario #1:
British North America was divided into two separate dominions:
1. Rupert's Land (OTL Alaska, Yukon, NWT, Nunavut and northern regions of Western Canadian provinces)
2. Canada (the rest of Western Canadian provinces, Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes)

Scenario #2:
British North America was divided into four separate dominions.
1. Rupert's Land (OTL Alaska, Yukon, NWT, Nunavut and the northern regions of Western Canadian provinces.)
2. Hudsonland (the rest of the Western Canadian provinces, Ontario and Michigan)
3. Le Canada (Quebec and Acadia/Maritimes)
4. Newfoundland

The problem is the plausibility of both scenarios.