By mid-April 2001, things were getting on track for national reconstruction. The King as Chief of State for Canada recently appointed a Governor General, who then appointed a Prime Minister. The new PM formed a "wartime cabinet" from all provinces and political parties (excepting of course the Bloc Quebecois), thus signifying a return to a constitutional civilian government. The federal government then exclusively recognised the civilian government faction in the USA as the legitimate "US government", although they maintain the previous non-aggression agreement with the military junta. (The "MILGOV" and "CIVGOV" labels aren't commonly used by Canadians.)

The "Alberta Federal Government" has been peacefully dissolved, although there are more and more rumours that the more extreme former members of the government might be brought up on charges for some questionable decisions during the war . (There are further rumours the provincial government was heavily penetrated by the white supremist "New America" group.) The units of the "Alberta Defense Force" and federal RCMP are currently pacifying the prairies. The native population of "Homeland" have entered into friendly negotiations with the federal government and the North Central Tribal Alliance is aiding in the pacification campaign.

The secessionist government in Quebec is fighting a rising insurgency by the province's Anglo and native populations, and even portions of the Francophone population is becoming disenchanted. It was clear that without continued French support the breakaway government would collapse, and if the main supply line down the St. Lawrence was cut (by mining or naval blockade) their position would quickly become untenable. Mindful of the previous disaster in the Balkans, the federal government fully supports the insurgents but does what it can to prevent what is still seen as a "political difference" from becoming bitter ethnic strife by concentrating attacks against the French military personnel. So far so good and the French are beginning to seriously reconsider their commitment, but the longer the situation persists the deeper the scars will be and the longer it will take for them to heal.

In British Columbia, the Soviet offensive has collapsed. One motor rifle regiment has defected en masse to the federal government, two divisions (and a third in the Yukon) have dissolved into bands of marauders. There is one last division under Soviet control in the northern part of Vancouver Island, a matter of considerable concern to the provisional provincial government in the southern part of the Island. The province's Interior and Vancouver Island are under federal government control, but the Lower Mainland (Vancouver and the lower Fraser Valley) in between them remain uncontrolled.

The deep water container port of Vancouver is deemed to be crucial to national recovery. Manufactured goods from Australia and Asia are starting to arrive on Vancouver Island, but in between the Lower Mainland and Alberta is still a total no-man's land and a complete vacuum of information. Although goods could be brought east through territory held by the American military units not loyal to the US government, it was decided that in the long run national reconstruction was best served by rebuilding Canada's "gateway to Asia".

In early 2000 the "Department of Reconnaissance and Investigation" was formed in the East to gather information on areas not controlled by the federal government.

"Agents were to move to their objective, do a thorough investigation, and then report back to headquarters on their findings regarding reconstruction possibilities regarding industrial areas, illegal armed bands present, and any other major changes in Canada's situation since 1997."

In late April 2001 the DRI in the provisional provincial capital of Duncan on Vancouver Island tasked a small team to Vancouver on an ongoing intelligence-gathering mission. In late summer CF units and the RCMP based at the on Vancouver Island and in the Interior will begin a two-pronged operation (OP GABRIEL) to pacify the Lower Mainland, one force coming down the upper Fraser valley from Kamloops and the other across Georgia Straight from the Island, linking up in the GVRD (Greater Vancouver Regional District).

Aside from the standard reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering duties, the DRI team (code-named "URAEL") is also to contact a group of survivors located on the campus of the University of BC (UBC) willing to assist the federal government in ongoing reconstruction efforts. Their future support will be important and the federal government is willing to promise aid in the form of medical and engineering personnel, as well as equipment and material resources (once communications are established with the Interior to the east). There are around 200 people living in this enclave.

US military and Canadian Forces personnel withdrew from the city in good order in late 1997 and 1998, with most of the population evacuated to Washington and Alberta.

There is no known functioning civil government remaining in the GVRD. The population level is thought to be dramatically lower than prior to the nuclear attacks in 1997 on the rail hub and petrochemical refineries and storage facilities in the Eastern part of the city.

Surviving population centres are thought to exist along the Fraser River and possibly the North Shore of Burrard Inlet.

There are no current reports (by the survivors at UBC) of large armed forces operating in the GVRD, although there are rumours of criminal elements like chapters of the ubiquitous Hells Angels motorcycle club and street gangs being active in the city. Also, it's possible that "New America" might have cells present.

This mission has a relatively high priority in terms of resources and transport from the CF's HQ on Vancouver Island to the AO. Resupply of food and ammunition will also be given a high priority.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:06, Sun 06 Jan 2008.

Game maps

Online map sites and programs like Google-Earth are great. However, they also provide a lot of out-of-character or anachronistic information. That is, your characters don't have access to advanced satellite imagery, and the city has taken a dramatic turn in the world of Twilight 2000 circa 2001 as opposed to the real world in 2007.

So this is the official campaign source of maps:

http://www.topozone.com

Your characters do have access to these topographical maps.

http://www.mapblast.com

This is the most common map book of the city I've seen:

http://www.amazon.com/Greater-...s-Book/dp/1894056116

Probably more than your characters would know, but there are Vancouverites on the Island and probably at least 1 NPC who can tell you as much:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver

(Use your judgment on what's OOC information.)


Tony
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:03, Fri 04 Jan 2008.

1st Lieutenant Ben Jagelis sat nervously in the uncomfortable wooden chair outside the brigade commanders office. He was uncharacteristically dressed in a faded, but otherwise clean and cared for No. 3 Service dress uniform, his marroon beret tucked under his lapel.
At almost any other time in the past, before the war, he'd have been unarmed, but not anymore. A holstered "not quite issue" Para-Ordnance P-14-45 pistol sat comfortably on his hip. At least it was Canadian made....
On his lap rested a large manilla envelope, names and addresses crossed out and rewritten several times in testamony to the need for reusing what used to be disposable office supplies. Contained inside was the simple one page orders he'd received earlier that day.
"Report at 1400 hours to Brigade HQ for mission briefing", it said simply without further explaination. Rumour said it was for a recon mission to the mainland, but last time he'd heard that he'd ended up leading the security element for a bunch of engineers salvaging an old ferry scuttled to prevent it falling into Soviet hands....

In order to not break up IC continuity, please feel free to post any specific questions about the briefing here, in an OOC manner.

So our first order of business (after landing) is to move to the University, make contact with whoever's in charge and....?

"...open friendly relations and establish a local base of operations..."

From there, presumably proceed with the survey of the GVRDs (Greater Vancouver Regional District) infrastructure, communities and possible obstacles to reconstruction, this is to serve as a baseline for future in-theatre intelligence gathering.

http://permanent.access.gpo.go...54/1996-4/villen.htm

This kind mission with mixed and possibly conflicting military and civil requirements are difficult. They are all-too familiar to the Reg Force (Airborne) personnel, all of whom have been on UN and multinational Peacekeeping missions in Bosnia, Serbia, Somalia, Rwanda, Cyprus, etc. At least there is no "load weapons and return fire only after 3 shots and authorisation New York" ROEs.

Bear in mind, clear RTEs (Rights to Engage: IE defend yourselves with deadly force if necessary) are included in the ROEs.

Added: Cpl. Lee's contact at UBC is the detatchment's NCO, Sergeant Grewal.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:30, Tue 08 Jan 2008.

It was another day at work for Lt Cmd Andrea Clarke-Sullivan at CFHQ.  She was tidying up her duties and getting ready to pass everything on to her replacement.  She had planned to take most of the next two weeks off, packing up with her husband and two children for the planned move to UBC.  The plan was that a crew of personnel would establish contact with the University and set up shop.  She'd be going later to set up Intellegence Opertations once the information and contacts started flowing in.

She was in a good mood this morning, feeling a bit of "short timer's syndrome" in response to the upcoming move.  She was excited to have a new challenge, looking forward to what appeared to be choice duty, and hoping this would be her "last stop" on the way to retiring out of the CF.

All that was shattered when her Unit Commander stuck his head out of his office and yelled, "Clarke!  Get in here!"

Long experience told Clarke he was upset, but not at her.  For one thing, it wasn't a full-throated howl.  He'd also left off using her full name and rank, plus a couple of explicatives.  But he was certainly upset about something.

When she walked in his office, he handed her a stack of papers.  "What's this?"

"Just read it," he growled.

As she scanned the stack of papers, her mood went first from curriosity, to disbelief, and finally to anger.  "Is this for real?" she asked.

"I wish to God it wasn't," he answered.  "I'm afraid the situation at UBC has taken a turn for the worse."

"What does this mean?" she asked, though she had a sinking feeling she already knew.

"It means you go home and pack.  You're headed to UBC tomorrow morning at 0500."

"But Tom, the kids..." she stammered.

Her supervisor bowed his head.  "Look, you know the drill by now.  Needs of the service and all that.  We'll send Tom and the kids.  But the job needs you now, not in two weeks.  Take the rest of the day off, spend some time with your family.  Then be back here tomorrow morning ready to roll."

Current background:

link to a message in this game

In the general sense, it's now late spring 2001 in British Columbia. The war is all but over. There are a few Soviet holdouts, and the political situation in the USA is not resolved. Canada is starting to politically reorganise but there are some problem areas, like the now-defunct Republic of Alberta (influenced heavily by cells of New America neo-Nazis) and an independent Quebec.

Vancouver, abandoned and evacuated prior to the nuclear attacks, is slowly being returned to a state of normalcy after a long collapse of civil order outside a handful of independent communities. The government's base of operations is an enclave on the UBC campus, and a special unit of the DRI (Dept. of Reconnaissance and Investigation) containing CF personnel, former US and Soviet military personnel and civilian contractors has conducted several operations to identify and eliminate threats to the civil order (Hells Angels-affiliated bikers, Primitives, street gangs and mercenaries that include armed deserters, neo-Nazis, KGB Vyampel commandos, etc.). As well, they have investigated, contacted and conduct outreach to various independent communities (New Westminster, East Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Downtown, Annacis Island). A nuclear weapon was recovered, and there's an ongoing undercover (UC) operation by former Soviet and US military personnel to pose as Russian arms dealers.

While Vancouver itself is now largely under government control and patrolled by the army and RCMP, many outlying suburbs remain unexplored and independent. Complicating their efforts, the Fraser River has overflowed its banks, flooding vast areas including YVR (Vancouver International Airport) and the "Free Market" on Annacis Island. While tends of thousands were able to flee the rising waters at the cost of what little they owned, several thousands still lost their lives due to a lack of warning and transportation. At this time the waters are slowly starting to recede.

Bikers and gangs still control vast areas outside the government's reach. After being pushed out of the downtown and Annacis Island, the Hells Angels are consolidating and digging in for a long fight. Rich from the unobstructed drug and arms trade, they are supposedly hiring and equipping a mercenary army to rival the government's as-yet limited military and RCMP forces. (Militia and RCMP Auxiliaries bolstered by a few regular personnel.) The US border remains unregulated and the Hells Angels run drugs, sex slaves and weapons back and forth at will, rumour has it if they want they could buy an M1 tank through the black market and ship it up anytime they wanted and there's no reason to doubt this. The KGB are still potentially out there, as are New America cells. There is a faint yet-disturbing hint of cooperation between the KGB, Hells Angels, various deserters and New America, all of whom have

Setting: think Morrow Project, if you've ever played it. The team is relatively well-equipped and well-armed (LAV III, copious small arms, an ATGM and recoilless rifles but no mortar/artillery as of yet). Yet the name of the game is restoring trust of the government, so maintaining the sympathy of the civil population and a good measure of restraint is required, even a degree of diplomacy and public relations.

General Geography:

Vancouver and its suburbs sits at the western mouth of the Fraser River, now overflowing, and many areas on the flood plain are largely still underwater. As most historical settlement was along the river, and this is where most of the post-war population was located, the flooding caused much damage and dislocation of the population.

To the north are the North Shore Mountains, rugged and heavily forested, where a few small bands of mainly Soviet deserters and stragglers remain. To the south are biker-controlled areas extending all the way to the US border. To the east is the lower Fraser Valley, lined with abandoned and now-flooded communities, still devastated by the nuclear strike on CFB Chilliwack. These areas comprise the "Lower Mainland".

The provisional government of BC is located on Vancouver Island, the provisional city government is on the UBC campus, which is the westernmost part of the Vancouver. The city of Vancouver is at least under tenuous control and now patrolled by RCMP and militia. Since landing at UBC from Vancouver Island, isolated communities and city areas that have been returned to government control include: the Downtown, North Van, West Van, and East Van. Burnaby was destroyed in the nuclear attacks on the Chevron refinery and tank storage farms. New Westminster is still semi-independent, thanks largely to their alliance with the crew of the Oscar II-class submarine K-141 (Kursk). The Kursk remains docked at their wharf, providing electricity while undergoing extensive repairs to their bow and running gear.

Map:

http://g.co/maps/jhqeu