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Originally Posted by johndallman

Presumably the connection is by radio, and the surviving submarine cables? That may be a reason why Britain is still useful to Canada, since much of the cable network that was laid before things got warm is centred on Britain. There's a map at the Wikipedia link.

I hadn't realized that so many oceanic telegraph cables had been laid down by 1901. I had been thinking radio for communication, but cables could definitely work.

It also fits into an idea I had where there's some cross-equatorial oceanic traffic - by submarine. It would only be for high-value cargo - such as diamonds & rare minerals from southern Africa & Australia to the north, and high-value manufactured goods to the south. Plus individuals, if they can afford it.

Originally Posted by johndallman

Infinity will be interested in the effects on the circulation of the oceans. There's potential for the Gulf Stream to shut down or change course, in which case Western Europe should cool to temperatures similar to Canada.

That's one of the 'weird things' - the oceans haven't been affected as much as Homeline models would have predicted. For instance, there are bad storms, but not apocalyptic (maybe in the tropics, but no one knows). Warm air still comes up from the Caribbean to Europe - even warmer, rendering southern Europe as hot as the old Middle East.

Originally Posted by robkelk

That, and sentimentality. Even in OTL, Canada was ready to help both the UK and France whenever either needed help in the first half of the 20th century (which is why we were involved in WWI and WWII before the USA was). Add a newfound agricultural wealth beyond what we had in OTL, and Canada has both the resources and the mindset to help out.

Definite sentimentality.

Also, a lot of British and French emigrated to Canada, creating a constituency with sympathy for the Old World. Those that emigrated were the best & brightest & richest, making for a powerful constituency.

Britain also isn't as crippled as the rest of Western Europe. London might be hot as hell and flood regularly, but northern industry still works, and the Scottish Highlands are more habitable. Ireland and Northern Ireland were made into self-ruling dominions in the teens, at the urging of Canada.

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Try this idea, have their be evidence that the mana level was higher recently. Rasputin's claim to have caused the warming might be true, which would leave the anomalies in place.

I had been leaning against the 'magic did it' idea, just because there are other worlds where magic has affected the environment.

But evidence of the mana level having previously been higher is interesting - could explain why it all stopped. And can't really mention Rasputin without him being a least worthy of a mission to St. Petersburg, to try to find out the truth under the noses of Imperial German forces in the capital of their protectorate.

And maybe there's mana in the tropics...