With 10 provinces and 3 territories, Canada has both federal laws (covering the entire country) as well as provincial or territorial legislation. And guess what, you can be a minor in one province but an adult in another!

The age of majority is the age when you are legally considered to be an adult. At this age, determined by the federal government and provincial/territorial legislation, you’re old enough to vote, receive full minimum wage for adult workers, drink alcohol in a bar, etc.

For federal laws—which apply to every Canadian regardless of the province or territory—the age of majority is 18.
For other matters, it depends on the province or territory.

It’s also important to understand the difference between “legal age”—which depends on the activity in question—and the age of majority. There’s a legal age to drink, to consent to sexual activity, to purchase and use cannabis, to gamble, to smoke, etc.

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