Provinces and territories of Canada

Canada has ten provinces and three territories that help make up the country. These areas are special because they each have their own governments and rules, but they all work together as part of Canada. In 1867, three areas called New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Province of Canada joined together to form Canada. The Province of Canada later split into Ontario and Quebec.

The big difference between provinces and territories is how they get their powers. Provinces get their powers from a very important law called the Constitution Act, 1867. Territories get their powers from the government in Canada, which can change them more easily.

Today, each province has its own special leader called a lieutenant governor, who represents the Canadian Crown. The territories have commissioners who represent the federal government instead. This system helps Canada stay strong and united while letting each area have some control over its own matters.

Provinces

Territories

Canada has three territories. These areas do not have the same powers as the provinces and only have the powers given to them by the national government. The territories include all the land north of latitude 60° north and west of Hudson Bay, as well as all the islands north of the Canadian mainland, from James Bay to the Queen Elizabeth Islands. Though the territories cover 40% of Canada’s land, they are home to only 0.3% of the country’s people.

One past territory, the District of Keewatin, existed from October 7, 1876, to September 1, 1905. It was later joined back with the Northwest Territories and became the Keewatin Region. This area is now part of the Kenora District in Ontario, northern Manitoba, and mainland Nunavut. The government of Keewatin was based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and it did not have any representatives in the national parliament.

The size of the Northwest Territories has changed a lot over time. In 1880, it covered 7.1 million km², and from 1925 to 1999, it covered 3.4 million km².

Population

Main article: Population of Canada by province and territory

Most people in Canada live near the border with the United States. The four biggest provinces by size—Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta—are also the most crowded. Together, they are home to 86% of all Canadians. The territories—Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon—cover more than a third of Canada’s land but have only 0.3% of its people, making the country’s overall population spread out.

Between certain years, Canada’s population grew by 5.0%. All places except New Brunswick got bigger during this time. Nunavut grew the fastest, with a 12.7% increase, followed by Alberta at 11.6%. Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s population went down by 0.5%. Over time, most provinces have grown, but some like Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador have had times when their numbers didn’t change much or even went down. Ontario and Quebec have always been the largest provinces, holding over 60% of Canada’s people. The population in the West has been growing, while in Atlantic Canada it has been getting smaller.

Territorial evolution

Main article: Territorial evolution of Canada

See also: Former colonies and territories in Canada

Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia were the first provinces of Canada, formed in 1867 when three British colonies joined together. Over the next few years, more provinces joined: Manitoba in 1870, British Columbia in 1871, and Prince Edward Island in 1873.

Canada grew by adding large areas called Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory in 1870. These became part of Manitoba and the North-West Territories. The North-West Territories covered much of northern and western Canada.

In 1880, Canada took control of the Arctic islands, adding to the North-West Territories. In 1898, Yukon was created from this area. In 1905, Alberta and Saskatchewan became new provinces. In 1912, the borders of Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba were expanded northward.

Newfoundland chose to stay separate from Canada until 1949, when it joined as the tenth province. In 1999, Nunavut was created from part of the Northwest Territories.

The three territories in northern Canada cover a very large area but have few people. They are often grouped together for organization and economy.

Government

Main article: Canadian federalism

See also: Monarchy in the Canadian provinces, Office-holders of Canada, and Legislative assemblies of Canadian provinces and territories

Canada's provinces and territories have a lot of control over important things like health care, schools, and roads. They get money from the national government to help pay for these services and also collect their own taxes. But the national government can influence how they use this money. For example, provinces need to follow certain rules to get money for health care.

Each province and territory has its own legislature, but unlike the national government, they don’t have a second group of leaders to help make laws. Most used to have these groups, but they were removed over time. Today, most provinces have a single group called a Legislative Assembly. Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador call theirs the House of Assembly, and Quebec calls theirs the National Assembly. Ontario also has a Legislative Assembly, but its members are called MPPs.

The leader of each province is called a premier and is usually the head of the political group with the most seats. Yukon works the same way, but the Northwest Territories and Nunavut don’t have political parties. The King’s representative in each province is the lieutenant governor. In the territories, a commissioner represents the national government instead.

Provincial legislature buildings

[Alberta Legislature Building](/wiki/Alberta_Legislature_Building)

[British Columbia Parliament Buildings](/wiki/British_Columbia_Parliament_Buildings)

[Manitoba Legislative Building](/wiki/Manitoba_Legislative_Building)

[New Brunswick Legislative Building](/wiki/New_Brunswick_Legislative_Building)

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  Newfoundland and Labrador Confederation Building

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  Nova Scotia Province House

[Ontario Legislative Building](/wiki/Ontario_Legislative_Building)

[Prince Edward Island Province House](/wiki/Province_House_\(Prince_Edward_Island\))

• .jpg)

  Quebec Parliament Building

[Saskatchewan Legislative Building](/wiki/Saskatchewan_Legislative_Building)

Territorial legislature buildings

[Northwest Territories Legislative Building](/wiki/Northwest_Territories_Legislative_Building)

[Nunavut Legislative Building](/wiki/Legislative_Building_of_Nunavut)

[Yukon Legislative Building](/wiki/Yukon_Legislative_Building)

Map

Provincial political parties

Most Canadian provinces have political parties that are similar to the big national parties, but they are usually not officially connected to the national parties with the same name. For example, the provincial Conservative or Progressive Conservative Parties are not linked to the national Conservative Party of Canada, and the same goes for provincial Green Parties and the national Green Party of Canada.

However, the provincial New Democratic Parties are fully connected to the national New Democratic Party. This means that members of the provincial parties are also members of the national party.

The Liberal Party of Canada is connected to Liberal parties in Atlantic Canada, including New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Other Liberal parties in provinces are not connected to the national party.

Some provinces have parties that don’t have a direct national equivalent, like the Saskatchewan Party.

In Quebec, the main political split is between groups that want Quebec to be independent and those that want it to stay part of Canada. The Parti Québécois and Québec solidaire support independence, while the Quebec Liberal Party supports staying in Canada. The Coalition Avenir Québec does not support either side.

Provincial/territorial governments

Ceremonial territory

Two important memorials in France are treated as ceremonial Canadian territory. These are the Canadian National Vimy Memorial near Vimy, Pas-de-Calais, and the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial near Beaumont-Hamel. In 1922, France gave the land for the Vimy Memorial to Canada to use forever, without paying taxes. In 1921, the people of the Dominion of Newfoundland bought the land at the Somme battlefield near Beaumont-Hamel. These places follow French laws and do not have special legal status like foreign land belonging to Canada.

Proposed provinces and territories

Main article: List of proposed provinces and territories of Canada

Since Canada became a country in 1867, there have been ideas about adding new provinces and territories. To create a new province, Canada needs to change its Constitution. Making a new territory is easier because it only needs a vote in Parliament.

In 2004, the Prime Minister, Paul Martin, surprised some people by saying he thought all three territories might become provinces someday. He said this because these areas are important for Canada, especially the Arctic. As the world gets warmer, the Arctic might become more accessible, which could lead to disagreements between countries over waters and resources.