Representation by Population (Rep. by Pop.) is a method by which seats are allocated in the House of Assembly in such a way as to vary with population. The higher the population of a unit (province), the larger the number of seats allocated to that province should be. Essentially, it relates to the basic democratic principle of "one person, one vote" and that all votes should count equally......
...... French Canadians recognized that constitutional reforms were necessary but would not concede Rep. by Pop. unless guarantees were given. The result of these pressures was the creation of the federal system in 1867: representation by population was conceded to Upper Canada (ss. 51-52 of the Constitution Act) but French Canada obtained a province where it would be full "master" in its house. Thus, Upper Canadians could not use their numerical strength to dominate them as those powers that were directly relevant to the culture and way of life of Lower Canadians would be put beyond the reach of Upper Canadians. Maritimers were also fearful of the large role that Central Canada would inevitably play in the central government. Their fear that they would be powerless in a House dominated by Central Canada became one of the most important stumbling blocks to the union of the colonies. Several guarantees were sought and obtained by the provinces that feared Ontario's voting strength:
1) Quebec received a fixed number of seats (65) and would serve as the basis for the calculations of the seats for the other provinces. It was thus guaranteed that its deputation would never fall below this number s. 51(1-2) . Cartier’s view was that as long as French Canadians voted as a block, and for his party, he "could make and unmake governments". To exercise influence in the federal government, he deemed it important that he not lead a shrinking group of parliamentarians from Quebec.
2) "The proportion which the population of a province bore to that of the Dominion was ascertained for both the census ten years earlier and the current one, and if the latter proportion was not more than one-twentieth less than the former, no reduction in the representation of that province would be made under the general rule." (R.M. Dawson, The Government of Canada, 1957, p.36); see s.51(4).
3) Rep. by Pop. in the House of Commons was counterbalanced by equality of representation of regions in the Senate (s.22). This was especially important for the Maritime provinces.
4) The British North America Act, 1915, introduced a further restriction to the principle of Representation by Population as it stipulated that a province would always be entitled "to a number of members in the House of Commons not less than the number of Senators representing such province." This has become article 51A of the Constitution Act.
