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CA-K022Institutions

Federalism and the division of powers

The Ontario Legislative Building in Toronto, photographed in 2017; one provincial legislature within Canada’s federal system.
The Ontario Legislative Building in Toronto, photographed in 2017; one provincial legislature within Canada’s federal system. Ontario Legislative Building, Toronto, South view 20170417 1 · DXR / Daniel Vorndran · Source copyright notice: Daniel Vorndran CC-BY-SA 4.0 (2017) · Photo source · Photo licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for display; item previews may be cropped. The image remains under the licence shown.
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Canada has a federal system. Its Constitution distributes legislative powers between the federal Parliament and provincial legislatures, rather than placing every area of government under one legislature.

Scope & context

Territorial powers require a separate explanation.

Sources behind this record

1
Federalism in Canada ↗

Intergovernmental Affairs

Opening characteristics of a federal system