ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Crown corporations of Canada

Okay kiddo, you know how some companies are owned by individuals or groups of people who put their own money Into them, right? Well, in Canada, we also have something called "crown corporations". These are companies that are owned by the government.

Think of it like this – imagine that you and your friends are playing a game of "store". One of your friends gets to be the store owner and they get to decide what toys and candy they're going to sell. They're in charge of the store because it's their game, right? In the same way, the Canadian government is in charge of crown corporations because they own them.

Now, why might the government want to own a company? Well, there are lots of different reasons. Sometimes, they might want to make sure that something important gets done, like providing healthcare or building railways. Other times, they might want to regulate an industry or keep prices fair for consumers.

Some examples of crown corporations in Canada include the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), which makes TV shows and radio programs that the government thinks are important, and the Canadian National Railway (CN), which is in charge of building and maintaining a lot of the railways across the country.

Because they are owned by the government, crown corporations have to follow certain rules and guidelines that other companies might not have to. For example, they have to be transparent about their finances and they have to report back to the government on how they're doing.

So there you have it – crown corporations are companies that the Canadian government owns, and they're used to help make sure important things get done and to keep industries fair.