The City
January 1, 1998 As a result of legislation by the Provincial Government, Metropolitan Toronto is amalgamated with six local area municipalities, Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, East York and York. This creates the 5th largest city in North America with a population of around 2.4 million people at the time. This did not only cause reduction in municipal departments within the daylight world of the Kine.
Prior to 1998, Scarborough, Etobicoke and North York were not the Domain of the Prince of Toronto. Some say that the Prince and his Council had been the ones to convince the then Progressive Conservative Provincial Government to force through the amalgamation legislation with deep pockets and probably other means as well, in a concentrated e ffort to gain control of more territory. After all, if the Kine governments of these municipalities were forced to change, should not the Kindred then adjust themselves? Some say that the Prince had little or nothing to do with it, but that it was controlled by another.
Either way, the three former Princes of Scarborough, Etobicoke and North York, along with their councils, found themselves pushed out by the Prince and Council of Metropolitan Toronto. The Prince of North York replaced the former Sensenchal, who had met her final death during an attempt by the Sabbat to take control of Metropolitan Toronto in 1996. The Prince of Etobicoke, bowing to pressure and feeling the weight of his years, along with a spiraling lack of support from his former Council dating back several years, retired, taking little or no part in current City politics. No one knows what happened to the former Prince of Scarborough. He hasn't been seen since the middle of 1998, not even the Harpy knows, nor does it seem, does the Chancellor.
The former members of the three Councils found themselves without position, creating tensions within the clans. This causes the Justicar to call Conclaves from time to time, especially given that the Sabbat had succeeded in taking the City of Oshawa, a 45 minute drive from the City of Toronto, in late 1999.
1999 The biker organization, Hell's Angels, began to spread out from the province of Quebec, where they had been involved in a long and bloody gang war with their gang rivals, and entered Ontario, establishing with frightening ease several club houses in the City of Toronto. Absorbing local biker gangs and taking over much of the drug and prostitution trade, they quickly established themselves as a power in organized crime in the city. In 2001, they even held a convention of sorts, bringing members from all across Canada to Toronto, many staying in downtown hotels. In a controversial PR coup, they even had a photo in the front pages of the nation's newspapers of a high ranking member shaking hands with the Mayor of Toronto.
There is a deep rooted suspicion within Toronto's Kindred society that the Brujah are responsible for the easy take over of the Hell's Angels, and that they have many ghouls in the gang's ranks. It's also viewed as an ideal hiding place for both Anarchs and Sabbat.
The Brujah are also suspected of founding the Collation Against Poverty, a radical organization that protested much of what was going on in Queen's Park and the Provincial Government's decisions and legislation. This is quite viable given that it's known, but not spoken of, that the Ventrue had a certain amount of control and suggestion with the controversial Progressive Conservative government, especially given that government's clear agenda for the rich and big business.
July 2002 The Pope and the Catholic Church, along with nearly half a million young pilgrims, descend on the City of Toronto with World Youth Day. Along with almost 500,000 enthusiastic young Catholics from all over the world, the Church also brought along The Society of Leopold. This arm of the Inquisition quietly set up shop within the Diocese of Toronto.
October 2, 2003 A Provincial Election is held, with the Liberal Party sweeping across the province and especially the City of Toronto, where not one Progressive Conservative won a riding. A new Provincial Government is sworn in at Queen's Park on Oct 25, causing the Ventrue a setback in their political maneuvering within the Kine society. However, since then the clan has been working on a backroom campaign, utilizing their contacts in the right leaning media, coining the term "Fiberals" for the Liberal party, based on the new Premier's apparent inability to keep his campaign promises. And several moves that the new Provincial government has made since gaining power has caused irritation among some of the Brujah clan.
There was also an election held in the city's Police Union, voting in a new union head.
November 10, 2003 There was a municipal election for the Kine citizens of Toronto to vote for a new mayor, a new city council and a new school board. The mayor's race got to be quite interesting, with accusations of illegal fund raising and bribes being bandied about the city's front pages and newsrooms. Candidate David Miller won the race and now stands as the city's Mayor. This surprisingly pleases both the Toreadors and the Brujah, because he is socially conscious and a long time supporter of the city's arts community. The Ventrue are just glad the man is articulate and not likely to have any further gaffs of the like of the former Mayor.
It was more or less quiet in the city of Toronto since the Municipal election, insofar as the world of the Kine is considered. However, there is a constant jockeying for power and position within Kindred Society.