What would’ve take for Halifax to become a competing industrial city in North America?

Sam Biswas

Banned
Located in the Eastern coast of Nova Scotia, is one of the largest city in the Canadian Maritime with population of over 400,000 in total. And yet despite of that, if you're comparing to other major cities in New England (such as Boston and even Portland) and even other major cities in Canada then you realise that Halifax is no clear competitor when it comes with population and its freedom use of market. Throughout history this city was and is dependent on agriculture, manufacturing, and fishing. What are the possible ways to make sure that Halifax needs to move towards for more service, educational, and scientific-based economy?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Halifax_(former_city)
 
Been a few years since I’ve been out there - one of my favourite cities though

1) better access to the interior. I don’t believe there is major river access to the interior so settlement remained near sea access. Limits local trade
2) need to avoid the Acadian deportation. Lots of people forced out that would have been drivers of HD economy and then need to settle lands again. Aware this was mostly west of Halifax but affects the flow of goods and services
3) earlier expansion of the naval fleet dock and repair works. Considering spars we’re coming from Europe until the napoloniac years which started sourcing wood from Canada
4) need to figure out how to combine cape Brenton’s coal with Newfoundland’s iron to have more metal fabrication
 

BlondieBC

Banned
Been a few years since I’ve been out there - one of my favourite cities though

1) better access to the interior. I don’t believe there is major river access to the interior so settlement remained near sea access. Limits local trade
2) need to avoid the Acadian deportation. Lots of people forced out that would have been drivers of HD economy and then need to settle lands again. Aware this was mostly west of Halifax but affects the flow of goods and services
3) earlier expansion of the naval fleet dock and repair works. Considering spars we’re coming from Europe until the napoloniac years which started sourcing wood from Canada
4) need to figure out how to combine cape Brenton’s coal with Newfoundland’s iron to have more metal fabrication

Sounds like one POD to me. And I think we can still deport the Acadians.

  • Sometime in Napoleonic Wars, the decision is made to make Halifax THE naval base for the Royal Navy in the Western hemisphere. A small, unappreciated part of this decision is to have the 1805 equivalent of dry docks and repair facilities. This POD could be made for trivial reasons as long as not reversed.
  • These shipyards are well run, and for some reason (easy access to wood say, or cheaper labor) these dock produce good quality ships at a bit cheaper price. Then the budget trolls of the Royal Navy slowly move production to Halifax form the UK. We also see some increased flows from one poor area of Europe, call it Southern Italians.
  • As we move to the age of iron ships, Halifax is chosen to build things like the first ocean going Iron Side. Two generations in, Halifax has the best shipworkers in the world.
  • It is a small leap from here to make the steel locally. Normally you move the steel to the coal since cheaper, but here a "dumb" decision is made to move the coal to Halifax to avoid building another cold city.
  • Italian immigration spikes as a program giving Southern Italians free passage to Halifax combined with lots of jobs has its typical impact.
  • Other industrial goods associated with steel are also produced.
  • All this activity makes Halifax the financial capital of the British Empire in Canada and much of the Western Hemisphere.
  • We get some major RR built from USA to Halifax.
  • When we have this ATL WW1, Halifax is a great place to produce goods since it is close to American supplies. We get another spike of immigrants to fill the factories. Say Spaniards this time.
  • Repeat for round two war.

I think I have a major industrial city of over 2 million. Maybe more if I can short circuit things like Toronto taking off. Also, with this early a POD, could Halifax also be the capital of Canada? Might also help if we don't have Canada as we know it. Something really odd like UK selling central Great Plains to USA and Canada ending at Ontario might well buff the hell out of Halifax. Or if you don't like that, the have British Columbia be separate nation that starts at west end of Ontario. I think this would pull much of Canada's population to the coast. Maybe even have Ontario as majority French speaking due to OTL English speakers settling east of Quebec. Maybe do something like not develop Canada access to Great Lakes via water.

So if done with skill, I think you can write an ATL where Halifax is half the size of modern Toronto.
 
I've always wondered if Halifax and the Maritimes would have done better as their own Confederation instead of being linked to Canada. IIRC Macdonalds national policy was geared towards Quebec and Ontario and hurt the Maritimes. Reciprocity with the US would reshape industrial development and allow them to stay competitive for longer thereby reducing emigration.

Finally, while demographics and geography would make it difficult for Halifax to be the capital of Canada but it would be a logical choice for a capital of a Maritime Confederacy.
 
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BlondieBC

Banned
Another side thought. Titles might well drive some prestige and help development. So what if some famous Admiral was made "Duke of Halifax". Wouldn't that make it easier to develop by a little bit. Say Nelsons wins at Trafalgar but instead of dying, he is made Duke of Halifax after retiring from battle wounds. The naval ship yard is already in Halifax, and now we have potentially a powerful advocated for Halifax in the House of Lords. Might free up some budget monies every now and then.

The other thought related to QEII. There is no real title for the oldest daughter of the King. QEII turned down the Princess of Wales after being offered it after it was clear the King was past childbearing age. So what if some King wanted a title for his daughter. So we setup the Princess of Canada for the title for the oldest daughter of the King. Fund it too and build a Palace or two in Canada. We then might have the opportunity for two Queens to go through this title. I just have this picture of QE II having spent quite a few happy days in Canada in her youth and taking her annual summer vacation then.

The reason to skip the Princess of Ireland and Princess of Scotland would be to avoid all those old independence issues and to try to pull the white settler colonies closer to England.
 
Sometime in Napoleonic Wars, the decision is made to make Halifax THE naval base for the Royal Navy in the Western hemisphere. A small, unappreciated part of this decision is to have the 1805 equivalent of dry docks and repair facilities. This POD could be made for trivial reasons as long as not reversed.
The 1805 equivalent of a dry dock was a dry dock. HMS Victory is preserved in one built in 1495.
 
Perhaps Nova Scotia ends up joining the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion as nearly happened OTL? Its proximity to the St. Lawrence makes it a natural trade hub between alt-Canada and the USA once things get settled down.

And I'm not sure that the RN moving its main base and works to Canada is very feasible, for the most part. The only territory any rivals have, at least until the USN is developed, is in the Caribbean, thus, it makes sense to have the main ports there to more easily counter French and Spanish movements.
 
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