Actually, Zz, I have to argue that point with you.........Canada was intended to be a nation with a strong centralized government. The overwhelming evidence of that is found in the BNA Act.........which reveals the intent of the authors by awarding all "residual powers" to the central gov't, and giving the Federal gov't the power to "disallow" ANY provincial legislation.
The people responsible for our constitution had just watched the USA tear itself to pieces in the Civil War. To them, the main cause of that conflict was the loose construction of the American federation, which left the individual states with most of the power, and Sir John A. had NO intention of seeing that happen here.......
The irony is that the USA, which was meant to be a loose coalition of states, has become a united nation with power residing mostly in Washington......and Canada, which was intended to have a very powerful central gov't ruling over a tight coalition of provinces, has become a loose coalition of provinces....
The best laid plans.....