What Canadian Province would be most like a Commonwealth?

Question

In the United States, 4 of our 50 states have a bizarre historic recognition as being identified as a "Commonwealth" rather than a "State." (you may have not known this, many Americans don't know this!) These are the Commonwealths of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Kentucky. Today we use the word state or commonwealth interchangeably when referring to those 4....commonwealths.

A commonwealth is a state that chose to emphasize the fact that its people were assembled for a common good (not in the sense of marxism) but in the sense of economic productivity via education, hard work, business and infrastructure, industrialization).

Not every commonwealth is the same.

Virginia = Was a conservative Catholic-oriented commonwealth with a code of religious customs, but adherence to things like height of buildings, how structures were to be built, etc.

Massachusetts was a contrast.

I would think Manitoba could be a commonwealth province perhaps? More emphasis on the people's workings to achieve end results, not just people living and being governed?

Answer 1

I'm afraid that you are trying to apply an " American " ideal to a different  country, and a different political  system.

Canada is a confederation of Provinces, with a strong central government. Each of the Provinces and territories has a lot more legislative power, than an American state has.

Here , a Province has direct control of it's  education, health and budget legislation, and collects taxes and fees on business and personal income.

The Federal Government of Canada sets national policy, and enacts laws that govern the entire country, such as the Canada Criminal  Code., or national defence strategy. Provinces are able to band together to lobby the feds to enact or change  federal  laws , for the common good of all,   such as the National Health Act, or the Transportation Safety act.

Our social system has a lot more depth and scope than the USA has  ever  thought about.

Canada was the first country in the world to bring in a national old age pension, a national un- employment insurance act, the right for women to not only vote but to  hold public office, a national paid  maternity leave program,  free abortion on demand ,  paid retraining for laid off workers, and human rights legislation that really does work. We have legal  g*y marriage, and g**s serve openly in our military, plus we have women in all our military  combat trades, including submarines and infantry/armour/artillery.

Canada is a much more progressive and tolerant country than the USA is . Why ?  A different point of view about the role of Government

Canadians are not afraid of their Government, Americans, for the most part  seem to be .

Jim B . Toronto.

Answer 2

I think you are right, manitoba is probably the closest we have to a province founded on the commonwealth concept.  It was founded by a group of Metis (half indian/half french) as a distinct colony for the express purpose of the "greater good" of that group.   Most of the other provinces were settled in response to colonial ambitions (Quebec/Ontario) or natural resources available.    BC = gold  Maritimes=fish  Alb/Sask = farm land

Another more recent example maybe Nunavut which was established by the Inuit for similar purpose but not yet rated a province (still a territory)