About Canada

The Dominion of Canada is comprised of ten Provinces and two territories. Each Province has its own parliament and premier.

The Provinces retain a large degree of autonomy and self- direction in political matters. They control such elements of everyday life as education, civil rights, and civil law. The constitution as contained in the British North America Acts, 1867, assigns particular legislative to the Provinces and vests the residue of legislative powers in the Federation. In particular the Dominion Parliament has exclusive legislative authority in relation to 29 enumerated classes of subjects (article 91), which include taxation, the armed forces and defence, regulation of trade and commerce, the criminal law, marriage and divorce, currency, coinage, copyrights, patents, and nationwide services like post and telecommunications. Each Provincial legislature has exclusive power to make laws in relation to matters within 16 enumerated classes (article 92), including direct taxation within the province, education, property, and civil rights in the province, and the administration of justice in the province, including provincial courts and civil procedure. The two groups of enumerated powers are mutually exclusive.

Both the Parliament of Canada and the legislatures of the Provinces may legislate with respect to agriculture and immigration, but Provincial legislation shall have effect in and for the Provinces as long and as far only as it is not repugnant to any Act of Parliament. Both Parliament and the Provincial legislatures may legislate with respect to old age pensions and supplementary benefits, but no Federal law shall affect the operation of any present or future law of a Province in relation to these matters.

The Provincial legislatures are all unicameral.

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