The appellant, a 30-year-old able-bodied widow without dependent children, was denied survivor's benefits under the Canada Pension Plan because she was under the age of 35.
She challenged the age-based eligibility criteria as discriminatory under s. 15(1) of the Charter.
The Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the appeal, establishing a comprehensive three-step framework for equality analysis.
The Court held that while the legislation drew a distinction based on the enumerated ground of age, it did not violate the appellant's essential human dignity, as the provisions were ameliorative in nature and corresponded to the actual long-term needs and circumstances of older surviving spouses.
