Editing The Post-Apocalyptic Roadmap/Canada (section)

== Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon == 

Some of the lowest population densities in the world, combined with a large lack of strategic value (lack of industry, large military installations) make much of northern Canada a poor choice for nukes. Seats of governance, such as the capitol cities of each territory, could be potential targets. But the strategic value in bombing a town with a population that could fit into a large apartment building, combined with a lack of any real internationally influential seat of power, means most of northern Canada would be spared the burden of direct attack. On the other hand, if a bomb were to land anywhere in northern Canada, Yellowknife would be it. The military Joint Task Force Northern headquarters is located here, inside one of the largest cities around. It should also be noted that there are several smaller military outpost spread out all over the north, mostly as a way of reinforcing sovereignty. And even though Canada claims it has no nukes, we all know you don't send a bunch of soldiers to guard snow and ice (in a country with more access to A-bomb material than any other, it should be noted) <s>if there isn't a ballistic missile somewhere nearby. Think about that.</s> (cough cough, DEW line and Arctic Rangers HQ, I believe) because Canada doesn't have nukes <s>(because they're all stored by agreement in the USA in bordering states)</s> (Hush.)

Considering this area is a population desert anyway, and most people who would elect to live in such remote and harsh places tend to be bit of the survivalist type by nature, life would continue much as normal, with a more survivalist edge to it. No doubt the local populations would band together into more tightly knit communities, wary of outsiders fleeing north. Attempts to replace any reliance on outside sources with internal, reliable ones would no doubt be made and compared to many places, with easily available fresh water, large amounts of wildlife, and vast swathes of untapped resources few places could be better equipped to survive the apocalypse in grand fashion.

Two things put a damper on the hopefuls that managed to survive here: Fallout, and Nuclear Winter. Fallout is a bit of a stretch, but it could ruin all that fresh water and has ample opportunity to mutate/kill all the wildlife. Glacial Ice could become one of the only sources of uncontaminated water (and again in this respect, the North has vastly more in supply then many other places) with dangerous, hostile runs through mutated forest and savage wildlife avoiding roving gangs of hostile "southerners" to harvest enough of a supply to survive for another year before winter returns. 

And the second thing winter, is an open/close case. While people living up north are well equipped to deal with the cold, if the winter starts and doesn't end, how long do you think your gonna hang around in a frozen wasteland before you make a break for the south and the irradiated beaches of some Mexican resort? Uh huh, I thought so. 

Ultimately if your gonna include this in your campaign, the built in hook would be the run south, away from an inevitable icy death. If the world hasn't been turned into a scoop of ice cream, then you would be running north, to one of the last, vast, mostly uncontaminated pieces of land around.

 
[[Category:The Post-Apocalyptic Roadmap]]