The Centre is uniquely positioned to provide insights into key public policy challenges facing the Canadian federation, from post-pandemic provincial policies to fiscal relations, Indigenous governance to public opinion on federalism. Under the leadership of Executive Director Charles Breton, the Centre builds on the IRPP’s status as a recognized authority on the complex issues surrounding the Canadian federation. Its priority is to bring relevant data and knowledge to the fingertips of policy-makers, politicians, and academics when debates on federal arrangements occur.

The Centre’s sustained commitment to studying the fundamentals of our federal arrangements will provide the research base required to inform the work and decisions of our governments. The Centre’s activities include:

• Investigating public attitudes toward federalism and the federation;
• Examining how federalism and democracy might evolve in future;
• Engaging in public debate on Indigenous governance and on the relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities;
• Conducting economic analyses of issues that affect Canada’s federal arrangements;
• Studying the impact of emerging economic and social trends on federal arrangements;
• Finding and supporting new and more diverse research voices in these fields; and,
• Regularly convening decision-makers and leaders from other sectors to discuss research findings and their implications for public policy and the country’s cohesion

The Centre was made possible by a contribution from the Government of Canada in 2018.