The phrase 'creatures of the province' (or 'creatures of provincial law') describes municipalities' constitutional status in Canada. Unlike federal and provincial governments that derive powers directly from the Constitution, municipalities exist only because provincial legislation creates them and possess only powers that provinces choose to grant. This means provinces can change municipal boundaries, restructure municipal governments, alter powers, or even abolish municipalities without constitutional barriers. The phrase emphasizes municipalities' subordinate legal status—they are not autonomous governments but entities created by and dependent on provincial authority. This reality shapes municipal-provincial relations and underlies advocacy for constitutional recognition of local government.