Where We Work
Learn more about the Canada Region and the CPA
- Canada, as one of the CPA's nine Regions, includes 14 CPA Branches made up of the Provincial and Territorial Legislatures as well as the CPA Canada Federal Branch at the Federal Parliament.
- Canada and Newfoundland were two of the six original founding Members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in 1911. The CPA Canada Federal Branch and the CPA Newfoundland (and Labrador) Branch were both formed on 1 January 1912. Canada joined the early Commonwealth in 1926, although legislation to enact this membership was passed in 1931 under the Statute of Westminster.
- The CPA Canada Region’s Branches were established in the following years: Canada Federal (1912); Alberta (1946); British Columbia (1928); Manitoba (1938); New Brunswick (1933); Newfoundland and Labrador (1912); Northwest Territories (1974); Nova Scotia (1932); Nunavut (1999); Ontario (1930); Prince Edward Island (1941); Québec (1933); Saskatchewan (1937); Yukon (1975).
- The CPA Canada Region has hosted the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference six times in its history. The most recent was the 50th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in 2004, which was held in Toronto, Ontario. At the same time, the 24th CPA Small Branches Conference was held in Québec.
- In 1994, the 40th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference and 14th CPA Small Branches Conference were held in Alberta. In 1985, the 31st Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference and 5th CPA Small Branches Conference were held in Saskatchewan. In 1977, the 23rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference was held in Ottawa, Canada and in 1966, the 12th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference was held in Canada. In 1952, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (3rd) was held in Canada for the first time.
- The CPA International Executive Committee Mid-Year Meetings (ExCo) have been held in the CPA Canada Region multiple times including: Ottawa, Canada (2019); Yukon (2011); British Columbia (1993); Québec (1989); Newfoundland (1986); Prince Edward Island (1971).
- Between 1993 and 2001, Hon. Arthur R. Donahoe was appointed as the 4th CPA Secretary-General, the first person from Canada to hold the role. A lawyer and Queen’s Counsel by trade, he was the former Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly (1981-1991).
- Another former Speaker of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia (2013-2021), Hon. Kevin Murphy was the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network from 2020-2021.
- In 2002, Hon. Bob Speller, MP from the Parliament of Canada was elected as the Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, the first time that a Member from the CPA Canada Region had served as CPA Chairperson. However, following a close election defeat in the Canadian Federal elections in 2004, he relinquished his CPA role.
Useful links
Canada Region
The CPA Canadian Region includes the fourteen provincial, territorial and national legislatures of Canada.
Where We Work
Find out more about the CPA's Regions and Branches
What We Do
Find out more about our projects, programmes, outputs and activities
Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference
The CPA's annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) brings together parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth to discuss global political issues.
