Research publications

This HillNote reviews jurisdictional issues related to LTC, summarizes the cost of accommodation in LTC facilities, lists the legislation that governs LTC across Canada, and provides an overview of the ownership of LTC facilities in Canada.

The year 2025 marks several significant anniversaries for international gender equality mechanisms. This HillNote is the first in a series of publications throughout 2025 marking these milestones. It summarizes the international gender equality framework that applies to Canada, a founding member of the UN in 1945, and provides information on Canada’s progress toward gender equality.

The United States (U.S.) is Canada’s largest trading partner, and U.S. trade-related actions can have significant impacts on Canada. As Canada faces the prospect of U.S. tariffs in 2025, a summary of U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about U.S. tariffs and the recently announced America First Trade Policy, the U.S. tariffs on certain steel and aluminum imports (including Canada) in 2018, and Canada’s response to those tariffs could provide insights about potential future actions.

February is Black History Month, a time to reflect on the history of Black communities in Canada, and to honour the contributions of Black Canadians. This HillNote provides an overview of the origins of Black History Month and highlights selected notable firsts in the representation of Black Canadians in the Parliament of Canada.

A secure border helps keep the population safe from various criminal threats while allowing for the legal movement of people and goods across the border. In December 2024, the Government of Canada announced a plan to strengthen the country’s border security and immigration system. This Border Plan, bolstered by an investment of $1.3 billion, was expanded in February 2025 with the announcement of additional measures to better combat fentanyl trafficking, organized crime and money laundering.

In 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada (Supreme Court or Court) released R. v. Hills (Hills), R. v. Hilbach (Hilbach) and R. v. Bertrand Marchand (Bertrand Marchand), which considered the constitutionality of mandatory minimum sentences under section 12 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter). This HillNote presents the current analytical framework, recent case law developments from the Supreme Court regarding mandatory minimum sentences and a review of its case law on the matter over the years.

Domestically, discussions about Canada’s defence spending are generally focused on the Department of National Defence (DND), including the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). However, in reporting their defence spending to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Canada and other NATO member states can also include expenditures relating to other departments and agencies. This HillNote provides information to help understand the amount of DND spending that is included in the parliamentary estimates and the amount of defence expenditures reported to NATO.

Beyond the strategic, media and political considerations at play in federal party leadership campaigns, there are constitutional conventions and rules, often less well known, governing the departure of leaders and their replacement in the Senate or the House of Commons. This HillNote describes the conventions and rules that apply in the event of resignation, death, incapacity, or dismissal of parliamentary leaders, as well as during the resulting transfer of responsibilities.

For the Government of Canada, poverty is broadly defined as “the condition of a person who is deprived of the resources, means, choices and power necessary to acquire and maintain a basic level of living standards and to facilitate integration and participation in society.” In 2018, the federal government launched a poverty reduction strategy, aiming to halve the national poverty rate by 2030, relative to its 2015 level. This HillNote summarizes the federal role in poverty reduction, outlines the main features of Canada’s poverty reduction strategy and analyzes the evolution of poverty rates in Canada since 2002.

A general election is followed by the opening of a new session of the Parliament of Canada, marking the beginning of a new parliamentary cycle. This HillNote provides an overview of the parliamentary ceremonies and procedures involved in the opening of a new Parliament, including those that occur prior to and following the Speech from the Throne.