This event brings together the premiers of all provinces and territories except the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Quebec.

Mr. Legault cannot attend the meeting due to a “scheduling conflict,” his press secretary Ewan Sauves told The Canadian Press. Monday, November 6th is also a strike day in Quebec.

More than 400,000 members of the cross-union Common Front will resign that day. This will be followed by a two-day strike by nurses from the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) on November 8th and 9th.

In a press release issued Friday, Federation Council President and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said he looks forward to welcoming his counterparts.

“This meeting will allow provincial and territorial premiers to discuss (…) healthcare innovations aimed at improving care for Canadians,” he explained.

The Prime Minister’s discussions will also focus on the issues of housing, infrastructure and workforce.

On Monday, premiers will attend a health summit to discuss ways to “improve health care through innovative and cutting-edge initiatives.”

The Prime Ministers will then hold a joint press conference on Monday afternoon.

Since its inception in 2003, the Council of the Federation has met approximately twice a year to discuss issues of pan-Canada importance, whether related to the economy, health or even the environment.

The council’s last meeting was in Winnipeg last July.

In 2019, in Saskatoon, Mr. Legault praised the “essential” nature of these meetings, which enabled “fruitful collaboration” with the provinces and territories.