Why doesn’t equalization apply to Indian reserves? – Policy Options

July 8, 2025

It’s right there in the Constitution: the commitment to providing essential public services of reasonable quality to all Canadians. And yet.

We take for granted that schools and hospitals in places like Fredericton, Whitehorse, and Charlottetown are decently funded.

This is the magic of “equalization,” which helps ensure comparable public services in parts of Canada that couldn’t otherwise afford them thanks to federal transfers to poorer provinces and territories. Equalization is the “improbable glue that holds a nation together,” as author Mary Janigan puts it.

Read More: https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/juillet-2025/equalization-indian-reserves/