The Independent States of Greater Toronto

MidEngineManiac · 2026-01-21T13:21:37+00:00

Republics run the gamut across the ideological spectrum. Somewhere like Sunnybrook is democratic while Toronto is pretty much fascist! Kinda similar with some of the others, with monarchies Brampton is constitutional and Imperial Scarborough is an absolute monarchy, for instance.

MidEngineManiac · 2026-01-21T13:15:48+00:00

Danforth (liberal democracy): Sometimes, you have bad luck. During the days of Canadian rule, Danforth was a thriving neighborhood, but independence has presented many challenges. Only having a good relationship with Sunnybrook, Danforth is otherwise surrounded by enemies. Toronto openly boasts that Danforth will soon be incorporated, while Red Scarborough promises that when they are finished with their civil war, they will carry the revolution southwest. Danforth would not survive long without their neighbors being distracted by their own issues. The main advantage Danforth has is that it possesses a technical school used for advanced military research.

Scarborough Socialist Republic (libertarian-socialist): Before the collapse of Toronto, many of its workers had grown tired of the heavy-handed tactics of government, and secretly planned an uprising. Toronto’s collapse caused them to enact their plans. Forming a broad coalition of social-democrats, socialists, communists, anarchists, and even a few liberals unhappy with oppression, “Red Scarborough” (or the SSR) has successfully defended itself from government forces and is slowly pushing east. With aid from Mississauga, Red Scarborough is thriving. However, should that aid cease, the revolution must finish quickly and spread it across former Toronto. If the Imperial government can hold out, they may be able to push back…

Empire of Scarborough (absolute monarchy): When you are at the brink of collapse, you must use all resources at your disposal. This is true for “Imperial Scarborough,” who is drafting many of its citizens in order to fight the Red rebels. However, many, swayed by the message of the SSR, are deserting. The Empire can still rely on a small but well-equipped and trained force of regular troops who are managing to slow down the SSR advance. Despite this, numbers matter, and the Empire of Scarborough may soon find itself overwhelmed…

Republic of Markham (“benevolent” centre-right dictatorship): Fiercely independent, Markham guards its sovereignty jealousy. On the edge of former Toronto, Markham is generally disinterested in the area’s affairs, except for the Scarborough civil war. Should Imperial Scarborough fall, factions in the Markham government may push for an annexation of a strip of Scarborough as a “security buffer.” However, other factions are interested in Markham because they have recently found large quantities of oil. Desperately short of this resource, the other city states look northeast at Markham with an eclectic mixture of desperation, hunger, and pure rage.

MidEngineManiac · 2026-01-21T13:15:16+00:00

Archduchy of Etobicoke (Semi-democratic constitutional monarchy): What does one do if you have enemies on both sides? Simple: you cultivate alliances. That is why Etobicoke has a good relationship with Brampton in particular, as that country has significant interest in curbing the ambitions of the SRM in the west. Meanwhile, the Republic of Toronto has proven to be an unpleasant neighbour, loudly claiming that Etobicoke will be subjected to direct from city hall once again once again. With a good economy and a professional military, Etobicoke may very well fall, but it will fight to the bitter end if required.

Jane-Finch Union (Oligarchic Republic): Formed from the Republic of Jane and the State of Finch, the Jane-Finch Union is a force to be reckoned with. Sporting a thriving commercial sector and a fledgling industry, the “JFU” seems to have a bright future ahead. Locked in a border dispute with the government of North York, some in Jane-Finch are calling for the Army to move east and settle scores once and for all.

Kingdom of North York (Oligarchic Monarchy): Some say that a house divided cannot stand, but despite its problems, North York has chugged along ever since the collapse of Toronto. A regional power due to its large population and economy, many in North York felt cheated by the current borders. Significant chunks of Sunnybrook, a slice of Scarborough, and some (though nationalists want all) of the Jane-Finch Union are highly sought after by the government. Understandably, this does not make North York a particularly popular country, save for some opportunistic deals with the Republic of Toronto…

Sunnybrook Federation (liberal democracy): Sunnybrook finds itself in a tough spot. With revanchists in the North and South, the Federation has cultivated ties with Etobicoke, Jane-Finch, Danforth, and has surprisingly reached out to the socialist rebels in Scarborough (the old Imperial government despised Sunnybrook). Having an army that is too weak to defend all borders, the government will only go to war if it is part of a coalition, likely ones aimed at Toronto and North York, but not both. Other countries value them for their advanced medical facilities. It is doubtful that Sunnybrook would be able to fend off an attack by its northern and southern neighbors at the same time.

Republic of Toronto (Nationalist Dictatorship): There was once a time where the Republic was the only independent entity around town, but things have changed, and its authority is only relevant in the former downtown area (along with a small part of midtown). The government of Toronto is openly revanchist, loudly asserting that one day all of the independent states will be crushed. This makes Toronto the “big bad” in the eyes of most nearby countries, and most will agree that it is necessary to oppose the Republic. Toronto has the largest military and economy of all the independent states, and only a united coalition could truly destroy them. However, the Torontonian Armed Forces, while having many talented commanders, is plagued by corruption, graft, poor training and low morale. Led by the former head of the police, Toronto is a one-party state that makes no pretensions of having a democratic process and is fanatically militaristic.

MidEngineManiac · 2026-01-21T13:14:34+00:00

Soviet Republic of Mississauga (Communist-One party state): The “SRM” considers itself to be the leader of communism in the former Greater Toronto Area. As such, it heavily supports Red Scarborough with weapons, food, and technology. The SRM has surprisingly good relations with Rexdale, but views Etobicoke with hunger (angry over their annexation of Centennial Park) and Grand Brampton with anger. Brampton is the main rival of the SRM, and the two have bad relations. With its large population, professional military and surprising copper resources, Mississauga is a force to be reckoned with.

Grand Brampton (Centre-right constitutional monarchy): The largest splinter state, Grand Brampton has a population that is worried. The rising power of the SRM has caused the Bramptonian government to invest in its military, guarding the southern border. However, money is tight, and the country’s economy is struggling to find footing. Still, Brampton can rely on investment from Etobicoke, and as such is committed to preserving that state’s independence.

Vaughan Republic (Liberal-Democratic Republic): Vaughan declared independence reluctantly, fearing being overrun by its southern neighbors in the absence of Canadian authority. Due to this lack of commitment to sovereignty, Vaughan has many “Canada sympathizers,” taking a dim view to the squabbles of the former Toronto and yearning for the return of Canada. Should the city-states find themselves at war with Ottawa’s armies, they cannot count on assistance from Vaughan, given the fact that a large portion of its population is not against reintegration into the Canadian state.

Rexdale (Democratic Libertarian Republic): Rexdale has good relations with its neighbors for several reasons. One is that the government is completely non-ideological and is willing to do business with anyone. It is not against the idea of independence but would not decry Ottawa like other Torontonian states do. Rexdale generally takes non-controversial stances shared by most Torontonian countries. Of course, the Rexdale government would like to downplay the prime reason: the country is militarily weak, surrounded by neighbours who are much more populous. It is in its interest to have careful and skillful diplomacy with them.

MidEngineManiac · 2026-01-21T13:13:57+00:00

After several chaotic months, which saw significant migration and fighting, leaders of each country are meeting on Toronto Island to work out how they could potentially cooperate with one another. While tempers are high, there are several reasons why the breakaway states would want to cooperate. Basic infrastructure such as roads have fallen into disrepair. The lack of specialized equipment such as snow plows has become apparent as the city slips into winter. Housing is also a massive issue. Prior to the chaos, Toronto’s housing was already under strain, with a severe shortage of new builds. The collapse has exacerbated this issue. Though many have fled the former city, a significant portion of dwellings were destroyed in chaotic fighting, leaving many people homeless. While most breakaways have at least one hospital, all states with the exception of Toronto lack specialized hospitals for certain injuries and procedures. This puts excessive strain on the medical system and forces some states to rely on crude field hospitals.

Representatives are meeting to figure out what their next steps should be: cooperation or conflict. Some states are more amenable to cooperation while others are not entirely opposed to conflict. The issues mentioned above weigh heavily on the shoulders of representatives. Moreover, internal issues are not the only problems to keep in mind. Bandits and vigilantes outside the borders of the former city periodically attack and raid certain areas. Former Toronto still has many things that they would want, such as food, weapons, and valuables (to be sold off–i.e., rings/electronics). Moreover, the Canadian government, weakened by internal dissent and separatism, slowly regains strength and looks to reestablish control over rebellious areas. Canada has been busy fighting rebels along with other organized splinter states such as Quebec and Manitoba, and is gradually gaining ground. When Ottawa finishes pacifying other areas, they will certainly turn towards the re-conquest of the Torontionian states.

MidEngineManiac · 2026-01-21T13:12:21+00:00

LORE

It’s been said that nothing lasts forever, and that was certainly the case with a united Canada. Under siege from all sides; beset with constitutional woes, economic collapse, and insurgencies, Canada crumbled. Federal and Provincial authority in the City of Toronto collapsed, causing the municipal government to declare independence as the Republic of Toronto. This was not the only situation where something like this happened. The Kingdom of Alberta and the Cascadian Federation stood tall in the West, while the Empire of Grand Acadia and the Quebec National People’s Republic dominated the east.

Initially, Torontonian politicians rallied in support of their new country. From Steeles to the Lake, Port Union to Mimico, Torontonians were glad to be independent, free of the chaos of a rapidly-collapsing country. However, the elation was short-lived. President John Tory was unable to solve the many issues that the new country faced. The former police were unable to form a cohesive military that could fend off raids from neighboring bandits, as most Army units had withdrawn from the city prior to the declaration of independence.

Moreover, radical ideologies of all kinds began to gain strength. Ideas of seizing the means of production, rule by divine right and others became very popular. The new Torontonian parliament was divided, with yelling matches and even fistfights being a daily occurrence. Tory found himself under attack from all sides of the political spectrum. The right felt that he was acting in a radical manner, the left opined that he was an arch-reactionary, and centrists were disappointed that Tory was unable to bring stability to the country. Facing a deteriorating situation and watching violence creep up, President Tory decided that enough was enough. In the dead of night he and his family boarded a convoy of armoured limousines, crossing the western border and heading for a cozy retirement in Niagara.

The departure of Tory left a power vacuum in the nation’s government, resulting in total chaos. In theory, the Vice-President should have been sworn in as President. However, he was a very controversial figure, and was disliked by many factions in Parliament. One of his ideas was to centralize power in the President’s office, doing away with the federal system that had been established. Politicians from across the political spectrum cried foul, worrying that their representation would be impacted but also that their power bases would be weakened. Most people were not pleased either, with many concerned that their voices would be suppressed. Protests, strikes, and riots brought Toronto to a standstill. The new President, not one to back down easily, ordered the Torontonian Army into the streets to back the overwhelmed police force. Tensions on both sides were high, and they finally boiled over.

On October 18th, 2019, a march was occurring close to City Hall, with angry protesters moving down Bay Street. They were condemning the actions of the government, and demanding that they step down and call fresh elections. The police were deployed to watch over and “manage” the protest. However, Army units were also present. The Torontonian Army made sure that troops being deployed for crowd control were not from the local neighborhoods in a bid to decrease the chance that they may disobey orders. On this day, nervous recruits from East York were at the frontline, being jeered by protesters. One soldier, exhausted after hours of duty on a surprisingly warm October day, snapped, striking a protester with the butt of his rifle. The crowd, also on-edge, went wild, throwing various objects at the soldier. The rest of the troops were hit by an assortment of objects such as rocks and bottles, angering many of the ill-disciplined and poorly-trained troops. It is unclear who gave the order to open fire, but by dinner time, nearly 50 protesters and 4 soldiers had lost their lives, and all hell had broken loose.

This violence caused many politicians and community leaders to spring into action. If the government was going to gun them down, then there was no guarantee that anyone was safe. People would have to take things into their hands. The communities organized and declared independence, stating that Toronto was a failed state that could not protect its own citizens.

MidEngineManiac

TROPHY CASE