Constitutional authority refers to powers granted directly by Canada's Constitution. Critically, municipalities are not mentioned in the Constitution—section 92 assigns 'municipal institutions' to provincial jurisdiction. This means municipalities have no independent constitutional status; they exist only because provinces create them and possess only powers provinces grant them. This constitutional reality—often called municipalities being 'creatures of the province'—has significant implications: provinces can change municipal boundaries, powers, or even abolish municipalities without constitutional barriers. Advocates for municipal constitutional recognition argue this arrangement is outdated for a country where most people live in cities, but constitutional amendment would be required to change it.