Sundance

A bustling resort community of some 200,000, Sundance is located on the shores of Pakowki Lake, the largest lake in Southern Alberta.

The largest lake in Southern Alberta, Pakowki Lake is blessed with numerous broad, sandy beaches. Combined with the region's sunny climate, it should come as little surprise that early surveyors were talking about its tourism potential even back in the 1800s. Sundance was founded as a resort town in 1892, when the Canadian Pacific Railway opened up a spur line from Medicine Hat south to their newly constructed Sundance Hotel, one of Canada's famous grand railway hotels. The hotel proved to a popular destination for both Canadian and international tourists, and in the century since, Sundance has become a bustling town that caters to water sports in the summer, and winter sports in the nearby Cypress Hills once the snows begin to fall.

Though the city has obtained a reputation as something of a retirement community for those who can afford it, it is also a major entertainment centre, in part thanks to the University of Sundance, which has an incredibly robust fine arts program, with a world-renowned conservatory program. With 15,000 students, the university is one of the smaller in Alberta, but when coupled with Cypress Hills College, Sundance has a bustling post-secondary scene.

In addition to its schools and many theatres, Sundance has numerous tourist destinations, including a half-dozen public beaches, five separate golf courses, and a bustling entertainment district filled with quality restaurants, pubs, and entertainment venues. The famous Sundance Hotel sits at the heart of downtown, and its 224 rooms can still be rented by those who want a taste of Canada's railway past... or those who want a chance at catching sight of the Grim Lady, the famous ghost said to haunt the sixth floor. More adventurous visitors can take a trip to the nearby Cypress Hills, or experience the stunning diversity of the Pakowki Lake Bird Sanctuary. And for the family, pay a visit to the Sundance Tropical Island Resort, Canada's largest indoor waterpark, or take in a game of the WHL's Sundance Coyotes at the Byfrost Centre.

Hidden from the eyes of most of Sundance's residents, the city has quite the supernatural scene. The ritual that purified Pakowki Lake millenia ago also shifted around a number of ley lines, and Sundance is now located at something of a magical nexus. This supernatural oddity was noticed early on in the town's history, and contributed to its renown both nationally and internationally, as mages and magical researchers the world over flocked to the town to investigate its arcane oddities. The proliferation of mages lead to interest from the wider supernatural community, and over the previous century, a significant number decided to settle in the quiet Southern Albertan town. Modern Sundance's magical community now numbers between 7 and 10% of the city's population. In Western Canada, only Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary have larger supernatural communities. This large magial population has created numerous problems for the community, and agents of the Veil Treaty and Canada's Supernatural Intelligence Services keep a close eye on the populace for any potential threats that may arise in such a magically diverse city.

Currently, Sundance's mayor is waker Calvin "Cal" MacLaren, an enterprising young man whose stalwart connections in the supernatural community helped get him elected for a first term in 2013. Sundance is represented in Alberta Legislature by Pat Kaluzny and Carrie Red Crow of the NDP, and Jonah Bradley of the Wildrose. St. John "Sinjin" Wulff of the Conservative Party has represented Sundance in the federal parliament since 2004. For much of Stephen Harper's term as Prime Minister, Canada's supernatural community knew Wulff as the Minister of Occult Affairs, and before his stint in federal politics, Wulff had built up a reputation as a capable enforcer for the Veil Treaty in Southern Alberta. He remains a capable mage, as well as one of only three supernaturals in Canada's federal parliament, and his years in the politics of the mundane world has yet to dull his magical talents.