Established by the Government of Canada in 1999, the Forum of Federations is the world’s leading organization dedicated to strengthening federal and decentralized governance. Renewed discussions surrounding Quebec’s constitutional future, the prospect of a referendum on Alberta independence, and increasing political polarization have underscored the importance of constructive dialogue on the institutions and principles that bind Canadians together. The Forum of Federations and Policy magazine have partnered to bring together leading voices from across Canada to examine the opportunities and challenges facing the federation at this moment. This series aims to foster informed dialogue among policymakers, business leaders, academics, and engaged citizens, for a constructive conversation about Canada’s shared future.

We open with Forum president and Policy Contributing Writer Rupak Chattopadhyay, on a concept that has informed independence debates in Canada for the past half-century, including in Quebec ahead of a scheduled October election and in Alberta ahead of an October referendum. “As it happens, sovereignty is one of the most frequently invoked — and least examined — concepts in global politics,” writes Chattopadhyay. “It surfaces in constitutional disputes, trade negotiations, separatist movements, and geopolitical crises, often as though its meaning were self-evident. In reality, sovereignty has never been a fixed principle.” Here’s Rupak Chattopadhyay with the essential What Is Sovereignty? Canada and the Politics of Shared Authority. 

As Quebecers face the prospect of a 2026 provincial election campaign in which the Parti Québecois is both leading the polls (at this writing) and re-introducing a referendum on sovereignty as a ballot question, the implications of Quebec separation are once again being debated, including in the most interprovincially integrated region in the country. “Thirty years after the failed 1995 referendum, the relationship between Ottawa and Gatineau has only deepened,” writes Association for Canadian Studies President Jack Jedwab. “The region is no longer merely two neighbouring cities on opposite sides of a river. It functions as a single metropolitan space.” Here’s Jack Jedwab with Where the Two Solitudes Meet: Quebec Sovereignty and the National Capital Region.

We will be posting pieces in this series regularly throughout the second half of 2026.

Policy magazine serves as an independent, nonpartisan platform for insight and analysis on Canadian, U.S. and international politics and public policy, written by policy and political professionals.