Since 1821 the territory of Alaska was disputed by the empires of Britain and Russia. In our timeline the dispute was partially resolved with the sale of Alaska in 1867. Before eventually being solved through arbitration in America's favour in 1903. However what if the Russia had surrendered the last of their North American territory to the British Dominion of Canada as part of the Treaty of Paris 1856?
The Province of Alaska
- Thread starter Bojeffries
- Start date
I just checked on wikipedia. Assuming Alaska would have the same population as OTL it would be one of the smaller provices populationwise, but not the smallest. And significantly larger than the territories.
I’ve been wondering about this for a while for my big Canada map, watched. I’ll be back after while with some notes of mine
The government probably not capitalize on it like a Prairie oil in OTL. The gold rush would be a different story.(Alaska had a gold rush right? I heard they did)
The territory once absorbed isn't terribly likely to remain as it is imo, I wouldn't be surprised if the Panhandle goes to BC and I'd be surprised if Alaska had as many people if it was part of Canada, for much of its History Canada was more selective about its immigration than the US was.
That being said BC became a province while it had a mere 36000 people, it's quite possible the Yukon and Alaska would be combined and made into a province.
I imagine it would have a significantly smaller population. Alaska today is part of a country of 330m people who can move there without restriction.
For Canada, the main impact would be that it would now have Russia as a neighbor, which could be complicated in a Cold War scenario (if that still happens).
The US here will produce less oil and be more dependent on imports, although I suppose they could just import more Canadian oil.
For Canada, the main impact would be that it would now have Russia as a neighbor, which could be complicated in a Cold War scenario (if that still happens).
The US here will produce less oil and be more dependent on imports, although I suppose they could just import more Canadian oil.
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That's an interesting thought. Maybe Canada develops a nuclear deterrent?
It'd be Canada defending the Aleutians against Japan; we'd be morons not to.
If that so more key infrastructure would be built and the railways would be maintained and upgraded for better supply lines.
So would gain capital ships earlier and keep them? So instead of losing our capital ships with the retiring of the last aircraft carrier we keep capital ships in the fleet?
More destroyers and subs. Possibly a cruiser or two. The RCN doesn't have the scope or budget after WW2 to justify a carrier.
I thought we were talk about a more militaristic Canada? Wouldn't it have a bigger military budget in the first place? And in trunk the Navy? Not the OTL one which I'm not sure is enough to protect the homeland.
A bigger budget for more of the same, plus a few icebreakers. Exactly what are we going to do with a CV? We'd have runways in Fairbanks for that.
Patrol that much deeper waters we now own? By what about being scares? The Japanese during WW2 and Russia during the Cold War. Even if you rely on Continental Air Fields eventually they fall out of range if you had to push a navy back. Now your destroyers have they only help they had against the capital ships of the let's say Soviet Union.
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I actually thought of a different thing. As a side effect of owning Alaska and higher military budget. When the rumored offer of the Caribbean territories from Britain happens, Canada accepts.
It pobably it ends up a backwater like our OTL northern territories. It gets provincial status in the 60s but due to a lack of federal interest it has a hard time utilizing its existing resources.
There's an off chance Stikine, and later the Yukon, gets attached to it and it gets provincial status in 1905 along with Alberta and Saskatchewan, and with local government advocating for itself instead of the feds you see much more commercial and agricultural development.
There's an off chance Stikine, and later the Yukon, gets attached to it and it gets provincial status in 1905 along with Alberta and Saskatchewan, and with local government advocating for itself instead of the feds you see much more commercial and agricultural development.