Quebec wants healthcare help despite equalization payments and surplus

All three of these requests came from Quebec—the province that receives vast equalization payments to the tune of $13 billion per year.

These payments come largely from western Canadian provinces whose economies have struggled over recent years through either inaction over pipelines or plummeting global oil prices.

As well as this, Quebec saw a remarkable surplus of $4.5 billion this year, making it unclear why they need to rely so heavily upon Ottawa for their healthcare system—even with a global pandemic.

Trudeau made clear, however, that this federal aid would be for northern communities in the province who struggle in the best of times. Northern infrastructure in the province, for instance, is notoriously broken.

Speaking to reporters, Quebec's Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault said that their "goal is to screen for and minimize the transmission of COVID-19 in these communities."