Canada's Constitution Act 1867 sets out the powers of the federal and provincial and territorial governments. The provinces were responsible for establishing, maintaining and managing hospitals, asylums, charities and charitable institutions, and the federal government was given jurisdiction over marine hospitals and quarantine.
The federal government was also given powers to tax, borrow,, and spend on healthcare as long as this did not infringe on provincial powers. In 1919, when the federal Department of Health was created. Over the years, the responsibilities of both levels of government have changed and continue to evolve.
