INDUSTRY
St. Catharines� itself is much more industrialized and commercialized, as is the rest of the region. Malls and plazas are 2 and even 3 times their current sizes, employing proportionately as many people.
Companies like TRW and General Motors are substantially larger by as much as 400%. Furthermore the companies are much more stable with less shut downs and layoffs due to government contracts to produce military light vehicles and such. Shipping isquite large in Niagara due to the Welland canal. The increased traffic has made such companies as much as 250% larger than they are in our world.
MEDIA
Niagara is home to several newspapers the largest of which is the Standard, the quality of which is higher as well. Cable ten is still local but is similar to VR in our world.
MILITARY
The Lincoln and Welland Regiment in not a reserve division in NBT, but a full fledged strike force. They are equipped to with light to medium armoured vehicles and artillery.
POLICE
While every one in the local police department is the same, the NRPD was folded in to the OPP long ago to offset ever increasing municipal spending. As Niagara is a gateway for American crime into Canada the NOPD (Niagara Ontario Police Department) are much more heavily equipped and have vaster numbers. They are not, however, any less or more corrupt pound for pound (not that is saying much).
POPULATION
Instead of our approximate half million, Niagara is home to close to one and a half million souls. As much as 80 - 90 % of the population living in developed area as opposed to rural.
RELIGION
NBT is slightly more religious, in terms of percentage of population. Futhermore, due to the greater population, congregations are much larger. Churches like Word of Life and Bethany Community Church are quite large having as much as 12,000 souls between them. Even the Islamic sect is fairly larger as is the Jewish population.
NBT lacks, however, a large population of the more exotic religions like snake handling, devil worship and cults, although such group do exist.
SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION
NBT�s Brock is not as proportionately as large as one would think, being only a few thousand students larger. They are much more rigorous in their entrance requirements as well. They have more advanced courses and in science and technology, the university is even involved with corporate and government research. Because Brock is a �forward moving� university they offer courses in the �unexplained�, occult, and the supernatural. Niagara College is much larger on the other hand, offering a more basic education for the general labour force. |
