The Rowell-Sirois Commission and the Remaking of Canadian Federalism

The Rowell-Sirois Commission and the Remaking of Canadian Federalism investigates the groundbreaking inquiry launched to reconstruct the federal system and reveals its legacy for Canadian federalism today. In 1937, the Canadian confederation was broken. As the Depression ground on, the provinces faced increasing obligations but limited funds, while the dominion had fewer responsibilities but lucrative revenue sources. The commission was struck to review the system. Overcoming a process beset by conflicts, the report proposed a bold new form of federalism based on the national collection of major tax revenues and unconditional transfers of these revenues to provinces based on fiscal need. Robert Wardhaugh and Barry Ferguson dig through the evidence and counter misconceptions to demonstrate that even though the report was at first rejected, it provided a storehouse of innovative ideas that redefined the nature of federal government and shaped policy and thinking about federalism for decades.