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Thirteen Economies, One Country: How the Highest Court Undermined a National Canadian Economy
Canada is one country, but economically it is a patchwork of 13 regional economies. Interprovincial trade barriers cost billions in lost productivity and innovation. As federal and provincial governments work to dismantle these internal walls, the question remains: why do they exist and why have they persisted?

The roots of Canada’s fragmented market lie not only in politics or provincial protectionism, but also in constitutional interpretation. Confederation’s framers envisioned a strong federal role in commerce, but the Supreme Court narrowed federal trade powers and expanded provincial authority over property and civil rights.

This lecture explores how judicial choices shaped Canada’s patchwork economy, why past decisions are difficult to overcome, and why today offers the best chance in generations to build a freer national market.