Gateway, Surrow

Gateway Ussiteshiuakamau (Chequan)
City
Motto(s):  Gateway to the World, Gateway to Surrow
Country	Surrow
County	Tuckamore County
Founded	1843
Incorporated	1949
Government
• Mayor	Jasmine Block
Population  (2021)
• City	11,688
• Rank	3rd in Surrow
• Urban	11,688
Time zone	UTC-4 (Surrowese Standard Time)
• Summer (DST)	not observed

Gateway (Chequan: Ussiteshiuakamau), historically known as Odvarsson House (Tyrnican: Odvarssonhus) is the third-largest city of Surrow. Located in the middle of Holcot Island, it is the second largest city on Holcot Island after Holcot Inlet, and the third largest city after Holcot Inlet and Tulaktarvik, and is the largest city in Tuckamore County.

Etymology

The name Gateway derives from the city being home to Surrow International Airport, which was built during the Second Great War, and function as Surrow's primary international airport.

Until 1949, Gateway was known as Odvarsson House, named after Odvarsson House, which was named after its builder, Rolf Odvarsson, who built it on the shores of Tern Lake to serve as a health resort. The Tyrnican version of the name, Odvarssonhus is still commonly used among speakers of Surrowese Tyrnican, although the Tuckamore County government officially leaves Gateway untranslated in Tyrnican.

The Chequan name for Gateway is Ussiteshiuakamau, meaning a lake covered with water lily leaves. This name is the Chequan name for Tern Lake, whose northern shore is home to Gateway, and the name has since been applied to the settlement that arose along the lake by Chequan speakers.

History

Prehistory and early history

View of Odvarsson House, 1911

The site of Gateway was traditionally inhabited by Native Surrowese, with the first evidence of human habitation dating back to around 2,500 years before present by the Pre-Armin culture, with Pre-Armin artefacts found as late as the third century BCE. This was followed by the Armin culture, who inhabited present-day Gateway from between 500 BCE and 500-600 AD, when the Proto-Itchalnu inhabited the area, inhabiting the area until around 1300-1330 when the Chequan arrived onto Holcot Island and expanded up the island. Due to its location near the Tapishko Pass, the area around present-day Gateway has long been the site of a trail linking present-day Tern Harbour with Gisborne Reed.

The first Auressian settlement in present-day Gateway was in 1679, when Elcid Barrett built a log cabin next to Tern Lake. Due to its location along the trail between Tern Harbour and Gisborne Reed, Barrett's cabin functioned as a shelter for travellers travelling between the western and eastern coast of Holcot Island. However, Barrett's son abandoned the cabin in 1701, as the land was "not suitable for any human habitation," and by the 1760s, in the aftermath of the Eleven Years' War, a traveler noted that Barrett's cabin was "in poor condition but still used by people travelling westwards or eastwards, as it is virtually suicide for anyone to dare to circumnavigate the island by sea."

In 1843, Rolf Odvarsson from Tern Harbour secured title of the area around Barrett's abandoned cabin, demolished it, and built a health resort in its place to "ground the body and soul so that it may heal any ailments and ensure that their souls may be able to reach the fields." Odvarsson's resort, known as Odvarsson House became a success, particularly in Tern Harbour, but also elsewhere, as its location "in the forests of tuckamore next to fresh water, with a very cool climate and away from the heavy air" was believed to be conducive to the health of its patients.

By 1850, Odvarsson House reached a summer population of around 300 population, and a permanent year-round population of 30 people, most of whom were responsible for maintaining Odvarsson House itself and its associated amenities, although some of Odvarsson House's year-round population were "people of very fragile constitution who must stay at Odvarsson House." Its population would remain stable, although its economic importance grew as the trail between Tern Harbour and Gisborne Reed became a proper road and a coaching inn was established to take advantage of the cross-island traffic.

Odvarsson House continued to operate as a health resort until the early twentieth century when it started facing financial difficulty, both due to a renovation to expand it in 1884 under Rolf's son, Niels Odvarsson, a sluggish economy after the Great Fire of 1886 in Holcot Inlet, and advances in medicine which led to a decline in its clientele, and to a declining summer population: by 1901, its year-round population was 34 people, but the census noted during the summer, its population was "around two hundred to two hundred fifty people". With the outbreak of the First Great War in 1908, Odvarsson House was converted the following year into a coaching inn, which put the nearby coaching inn out of business. However, Odvarsson House did not make as much money as a coaching inn than it did as a health resort, and Odvarsson House closed permanently in 1912.

This led to a significant population decline: by the 1921 census, its permanent population fell to only 8 people, with most of them "working at a roadhouse" that was set up at the coaching house that was closed in 1909, and Prime Minister Clarence Bradley wrote in 1927 about a trip to Odvarsson House that:

"If I had not known about the Odvarsson's once-grand health resort along the shores of Tern Lake, and if I had not known of it in its glory days, I would have believed, with all my heart, that Odvarsson House was completely unchanged since Elcid Barrett built his cabin centuries ago to serve as a mere shelter for travelers venturing across the island from Tern Harbour in the east to Gisborne Reed in the west."

Boom years

View of airplanes at Odvarsson Air Base, 1941

Odvarsson House's population would begin growing with the outbreak of the Second Great War in 1935, as Albrennia and Rythene determined that its location in the middle of Great Island away from major population centres made it a suitable site for an air base. This led to the construction of an airfield four kilometers east-southeast of the original settlement, and to the construction of a work camp that would form the nucleus of the modern urban centre. By 1941, Odvarsson Air Base was opened for military use, and the population of Odvarsson House was measured to be at 919 people, making it the third-largest urban centre in the colony after Holcot Inlet and Tulaktarvik.

With the end of the Second Great War in 1943, the airfield was initially retained for military use, but due to a lack of military threats in the area, Odvarsson Air Base was transferred over to the Surrowese government in 1948, with the Surrowese government designating it as Odvarsson Airport, although it continues to be used by the Surrowese military.

The following year, Odvarsson House was officially incorporated as a town, and was renamed to Gateway, as the Surrowese government envisaged that Surrow's primary airport would be at Odvarsson Airport. By 1951, Gateway became the third-largest town in Surrow, with a population of 4,017 people, slightly behind the second-largest city of Tern Harbour.

In 1954, the Surrowese government officially began the Surrowese Civil Aviation Service out of Odvarsson Airport, which they renamed to Surrow International Airport. As an international airport, it began offering flights by X air to Y, which led to an economic boom for the town, both because tourists were spending money in the town, and because of the jobs being made by the airport and by the airlines. Thus, by 1961, Gateway's population had risen to 9,749 people, making it the second largest settlement in Surrow, between Holcot Inlet and Tulaktarvik, and the following year, Gateway was officially incorporated as a city.

During the 1960s, the Surrowese Civil Aviation Service's decision to start international flights increased passenger traffic even further to Surrow, which continued Gateway's economic boom as more jobs were created by the SCAS, the airport, and by the growing tourist sector. By 1971, although Gateway fell back to third-place behind Holcot Inlet and Tulaktarvik, its population rose to 12,301 people.

In 1975, the Surrowese Civil Aviation Service renamed itself to NorthAir, with the newly-renamed NorthAir greatly expanding its route network, which helped fuel Gateway's economic growth. However, its population growth began to slow as most people who previously lived in the outports and moved elsewhere have already moved, and younger people who grew up in Gateway began leaving for Holcot Inlet, Tulaktarvik, or other countries such as Albrennia due to a lack of opportunities in Gateway. By 1981, Gateway's population peaked at 15,051 people.

Modern era

Since the 1980s, Gateway has begun to diversify its economy. Due to its position as the third-largest city in Surrow, government offices have been opening up in order to serve the northern portion of Holcot Island, which has created some economic opportunities. In 1986, President Deacon Parker announced plans to open a polytechnic in Gateway, but the plans were cancelled following his death in 1987 and his replacement by Michael Chambers.

In 1991, Gateway's population fell for the first time in nearly a century, falling to 14,863 people in the census. In 1993, Chambers proposed abolishing the counties and districts of Surrow and making Gateway the seat of the Central Region, which would have covered most of northern Holcot Island. Although this was received positively by many people in Gateway, as it would help diversify their economy and provide more economic opportunities to the city, the proposed reforms were cancelled.

In 2001, Gateway's population was measured to be at 13,754 people. In 2003, a golf course was opened along the shores of Tern Lake in an effort to encourage increased tourism to Gateway, and in 2005, a new business park was opened northwest of the airport. However, these projects failed to halt Gateway's population decline, with the population falling to 12,795 people in the 2011 census.

Geography

View of Tern Lake, 2019

Gateway is situated on the northern shore of Tern Lake and is bordered to the west by the Hachshu Stream that flows into Tern Lake, whose outlet is the Tern River. It is located to the southeast of the Elser Hills, which can be seen from inside the city.

Gateway is located in a tuckamore forest that covers much of the eponymous Tuckamore County, and has very rocky terrain, making it unsuitable for growing crops. Due to its geography and the presence of discontinuous permafrost in the northwestern areas of Gateway, it has led to some difficulties in constructing infrastructure and buildings in Gateway.

Due to its location above the Breuvician Circle, Gateway experiences the midnight sun from May 4th to July 14th, and polar night from December 15th until December 26th.

Climate

colder than Holcot Inlet, warmer than Tulaktarvik

Demographics

As of the 2021 census, Gateway's population was 11,688 people, making Gateway the third-largest city in Surrow after Holcot Inlet and Tulaktarvik, and the largest settlement in Surrow to not be a county seat.

Racially, the largest group in Gateway are Auressian-Surrowese, with 11,655 people, or around 99.7% of the population. Estimates suggest that around 55% of the city's population are of Rythenan descent, 44% are of Tyrnican origin, and 1% belong to other Auressian groups. The next largest racial group are other racial groups, with 18 people, or around 0.2% of the city's population belong to other racial groups. The smallest racial group are Native Surrowese, with 15 people, or around 0.1% of the city's population, with estimates that 100% of the Native Surrowese population in Gateway are of Chequan descent.

Religiously, Gateway is majority-Perendist, with 11,331 people, or around 97% of the city's population following Perendism. 332 people, or around 2.8% of the city's population are irreligious, while 25 people, or around 0.2% of the city's population follow other religions.

Linguistically, 11,579 people, or around 99.1% of Gateway's population speak Rythenean as their first language, with 11,676 people, or around 99.9% of the city's population being fluent in some degree in Rythenean. 97 people, or around 0.8% of Gateway's population speak Tyrnican as their first language, with 4,101 people, or around 35.1% of the city's population being fluent to some degree in Tyrnican. 3 people, or virtually zero percent of the city's population speak Chequan as their fist language, with 13 people or around 0.1% of the city's population being fluent to some degree in Chequan, and 9 people, or around 0.1% of Gateway's population speaking other languages as their first language, with 15 people, or around 0.1% of the city's population being fluent to some degree in other languages.

Economy

Satellite view of Gateway International Airport

Gateway's economy is reliant on aviation, due to its location near Surrow's primary international airport, Surrow International Airport. This has led it to be the headquarters of Surrow's flag carrier, NorthAir, and has contributed to the growth of Gateway's economy as a service sector exists in order to accommodate airport and airline staff, the general population that has moved to support Gateway's population, and to accommodate tourists who are arriving or departing Surrow.

Due to the city's size, it is home to several government offices to provide government services for Tuckamore County and Disappointment County, including a trial court, one of only two settlements outside a county seat or a district seat, alongside Bagshaw Cove to have a courthouse. In addition, the Surrowese military has a strong presence in Surrow, with the Surrowese Air Force using Surrow International Airport as one of their two helicopter bases, and the Surrowese Army having a company of eighty soldiers stationed at the adjacent Gateway Military Base.

Culture

Gateway is home to the Surrowese Aviation Museum, which serves as Surrow's only aviation museum and is one of the northernmost aviation museums in the world. It is also home to the Gateway Art Gallery and Cultural Centre, which displays Surrowese art and is home to a small concert venue that has occasionally seen performances from Surrowese singers such as Rowan Fechter, who grew up in Gateway, and Lars Nolsoe.

Sports is also important in Gateway, with Gateway having a curling club that competes in the Surrowese Curling Association, the Gateway Aviators, and an indoor football team, FC Gateway, that competes in the Surrowese Football League.

Government

Gateway's municipal government is structured on a mayor-council system, with the Mayor being directly elected by the citizens, along with a representative to the five-member Gateway City Council. The current Mayor of Gateway is Jasmine Block, who was first elected in 2022 after succeeding long-term incumbent Bill Wirz, who served as mayor since 1998.

As the largest city in Tuckamore County, Gateway is represented by seven of the nine members of the Tuckamore County Council.

On the national level, Gateway is represented by seven seats in the Surrowese Parliament. Of the seven seats, six are from the United People's Party, and one is from the Alliance of Cooperativists and Trade Unionists.

Infrastructure

Education

Public primary and secondary education is provided by Tuckamore County, with the county government operating two primary schools and a secondary school, which all follow the Surrowese curriculum.

There is no institutions that offer post-secondary education in Gateway, with graduates usually going to Holcot Inlet to further their education.

Healthcare

There is one hospital in Gateway, Rolf Odvarsson Hospital, although for cases too complicated to be treated in Gateway, it will send patients to Holcot Inlet.

Transportation

Gateway is located on the Surrowese Highway, whose section on Holcot Island begins in Holcot Inlet and ends in Apitumiss, with Gateway also having a road to Tern Harbour. It is also home to Surrow International Airport, which is the only airport on Holcot Island, and provides connections to both Great Island, Kikik Island, and other countries.

Public transit is provided by the Holcot Inlet Transit Authority (HITA), with a single route connecting Surrow International Airport to Holcot Inlet every 15 minutes between 5 am to 7 pm seven days a week, and every 30 minutes until midnight, except on Tribulation Day, and by Gateway Transit, which operates from 6 am to 8 pm every 30 minutes six days a week excluding Sundays and Tribulation Day.

Media

Gateway's main radio station is SUHA-AM, which is owned by the Surrowese Broadcasting Corporation and broadcasts at 620 AM. Although SUHA-AM is based in Hairings Harbour, it provides broadcasts to most of central and eastern Tuckamore County.

Gateway has one television channel, SUGW-TV, which is owned by the Surrowese Broadcasting Corporation, and is functionally a repeater of SUTV-TV with the exception of local news programs.

Gateway has a weekly newspaper, the Gateway Beacon, although residents of Gateway can receive the Holcot Inlet-based Altman Media Group-owned Daily Fisherman and the Arnarson Press-owned Holcot Imlet Herald.