Mont Royaume

The Ville de Mont Royaume is the second most populous city in Sober Thought with 6.0% of the national population. Montroy, as the French city is colloquially known, is the metropolis but not capital of Hochelaga. The city is overwhelmingly francophone and French is the only official language.

For:

• Kingsmount, an anglophone suburb of Montroy, see its separate article
• Leu, a twin city in Baranxtu, see its separate article
• Longueoreille, a francophone suburb of Montroy, see its section at the end of this article
• Ville de Montréal, a francophone twin city in Kelse, see its separate article

Cityscape

One quarter of the provincial population (or nearly one third counting the suburbs) is crammed into one small area on the edge of the province. The city is one of the oldest in Sober Thought, and it has grown organically rather than being planned. Thus, its streets appear in an irregular pattern, and the older parts are dotted with alleys, courtyards and culs-de-sac.

The architectural heritage of the city is also impressive, starting with the older buildings erected by the Catholic Church, followed by the commercial buildings by the business elite and finally the public buildings by the secular state. Locals and tourists alike appreciate the view by just getting up and going for a walk with no destination in mind but with a virtual guarantee of finding interesting houses, offices and structures.

The cultural sector is especially active in Montroy, with many television, radio and live performances of the visual and performing arts showcasing local francophone performers in a star setting. This is in addition to the federal government's broadcasts on InfoST. The vibrant culture also means big business, since the entertainment dollar is spent in the city on Hochelaga productions rather than on dubbed or English-only imports from outside the province.

Economy

Montroy business people are well represented in the Assemblée du Hochelaga through the Centrale des Affaires. However, rather than boosting free trade and decrying the fetters of government on business, the Centrale extracts subsidies, concessions and protectionism from the provincial government. This has scared off investors from outside the province like those in Cholmestay, which is just fine with the local commercial oligarchy.

Instead of relying on out-of-province money, Mont Royaume's business concerns are bankrolled by institutional and individual investors from within Hochelaga. These are serious, longterm investors who are motivated in part by parochial pride. This ensures a stability in investment which keeps the urban economy humming at the national median despite the lack of external investment.

Education

Montroyais view education as the guardian of culture and language, so they spare no expense in promoting it. Primary and secondary schools are conveniently located in all neighbourhoods, and some arrondisements get magnet schools for drama, literature and similar specialties.

There are several institutions of higher learning in the city. State-supported academic education is offered Université du Hochelaga à Mont Royaume where provincial scholarships must be redeemed. More practical and commercial public education is offered at the Collège municipale de Mont Royaume.

Private Catholic schooling is available at the Université catholique de Mont Royaume, somewhat less prestigious than its counterpart in Hochelaga City. Private secular schooling in business only is available at the École supérieure du Commerce.

Legislatures

The city is divided into 14 federal electoral districts, each of which returns one member to the House of the Federation. Five or six extra members are normally elected in top-up seats assigned by proportional representation.

Montroy officially has 16 deputies in the Assemblée du Hochelaga — 15 chosen by electors in single-member districts and one chosen by the city council. In practice, however, residents of the city capture more than half of the 30 deputies representing organisations (for business, labour, arts and professions) and 30 deputies elected by province-wide party lists. In a typical session, about half of the representatives live in or are closely associated with Montroy. This cannot but benefit the city and region, and gives the denizens a collective veto on the Premier ministre of the province.

The Conseil de Mont Royaume is the municipal legislature and it mimics the provincial one in composition. There are 20 councillors chosen by the electors in the single-member arrondisements, 8 by the electors at large, 8 by the Societé municipale des Affaires and 8 by organised labour. The whole council chooses the Maire and Sous-maire from within its membership by simple plurality vote. Parties are active on the local level which is seen by many councillors -- especially those elected outside the districts -- as a dress rehearsal for higher office.

Public safety

The provincial police force, Sûreté du Hochelaga, is headquartered in Mont Royaume and also operates a Commandement policier throughout the city. Unfortunately, the laissez-faire and joie-de-vivre of Hochelagais manifests itself at the Sûreté by turning a blind eye to gambling, prostitution, drug dealing and other vice or so-called victimless crimes. Several bribery, influence peddling and corruption scandals have also implicated it in more serious violent crimes.

Although it is the federal and provincial governments who raise and pay for the Garde civile hochelagaise, a large number of parttime citizen soldiers live in the city and belong to local regiments. For provincial service, the Région gardière de Mont Royaume includes Kingsmount. For federal service, the city provides the following troops to 8 series divisions of infantry:

• un bataillon, Les Hussards Mont Royaume (armoured cars)
• un bataillon, Les Dragons Mont Royaume (wheeled armoured infantry)
• un bataillon, Les Fusiliers Mont Royaume (urban light infantry)
• un bataillon, Régiment hochelagais de Génie (engineers and mechanics)
• un demi-bataillon, Les Chasseurs à cheval (motorised infantry)
• un demi-bataillon, Régiment hochelagais des Transports (motor transport)
• un demi-bataillon, Régiment hochelagais de Santé (health)

This city also provides half a battalion of Les Chasseurs alpins for service in 7 series divisions of mountain infantry.

Longueoreille

Theoretically, this francophone city of one percent of the national population is not part of Mont Royaume to its north. However, as rail and road connections improved, it has become something of a dormitory community for workers and a retirement community for elderly people who cannot afford the higher cost of living in Montroy.

It has both university and college campuses, but they are easily eclipsed by the better institutions located downtown. In fact, many local students begin their studies at these less prestigious campuses with lower academic standards then — if proved successful — transfer to the downtown campus for their final year. Although this procedure is legal and ethical, downtown students resent their suburban cousins for supposedly cheapening the value of a real Montroy degree or diploma.

The Conseil de Longueoreille is a conventionally constituted Hochelaga municipal council with unremarkable politics. Five its members are elected from single-member arrondisements, two by the chamber of commerce, two by the labour council and two by voters at large. They choose one among their number to act as Maire and Sous-maire, and due to the more intimate nature of a smaller city council, political parties are less important than in the larger council downtown.