Grade by Grade
B. People and Environments: The Role of Government and Responsible Citizenship · Government and Citizenship

Three Levels of Government: Who Does What?

B3.2About 45 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can name Canada's levels of government and where each one meets.
  • I can describe the jurisdiction of the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments.
  • I can match a service to the level of government that provides it.
  • I can name the elected representatives for each level and their titles.

Words to know

government
The group of people who make decisions and laws for a place, and the services they run.
jurisdiction
The area of responsibility of a government: the things it has the power to make laws and decisions about.
federal government
The government of all of Canada. It meets in Ottawa.
provincial government
The government of one province, like Ontario. Ontario's meets at Queen's Park in Toronto.
municipal government
The local government of a city, town or township, led by a council.
representative
A person elected to speak and make decisions for the people in an area.
Member of Parliament (MP)
A person elected to the House of Commons in Ottawa.
Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP)
A person elected to Ontario's Legislative Assembly.

Who is in charge of what?

You mail a birthday card to your cousin. You get a vaccine at a clinic. You borrow a library book. You see a snowplow clear your street and another clear Highway 401.

Each of these involves a government. But not the same one! Canada has different levels of government, and each has its own jobs.

A snowplow truck with an orange plow blade clears snow from a residential street lined with houses.
Clearing local streets is usually a job for the municipal government. Big highways like Highway 401 are cleared by the province. AI-generated image

Remember from Grade 3

In Grade 3 you learned about your municipal government: a council led by a mayor (or reeve), elected every four years, that runs services like garbage pickup, libraries and local roads. You also met the three levels: municipal, provincial and federal.

This year you will look more closely at jurisdiction: what each level is in charge of, and why.

Federalall of Canada, OttawaProvincial or territorialone province or territoryMunicipal (local)one city, town or township
Canada's main levels of government. The federal government covers the whole country; each province or territory has its own government; each municipality has a local council. (First Nations governments are a separate order of government you will learn about soon.)

The federal government

  • Makes decisions for all of Canada.
  • Meets in Parliament, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
  • Parliament has two parts. The House of Commons has 343 Members of Parliament (MPs), each elected by the people of one area, called a riding. The Senate has members who are appointed, not elected; they review and suggest changes to laws.
  • The leader of the government is the Prime Minister, usually the leader of the party with the most MPs.
  • Canada is a constitutional monarchy: the King is Canada's head of state, and the Governor General represents him in Canada. But the elected government makes the real day-to-day decisions.

Provincial and territorial governments

  • Each of the 10 provinces has its own government. Ontario's Legislative Assembly meets at Queen's Park in Toronto. It has 124 Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). The leader is the Premier.
  • The 3 territories (Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut) also have elected governments, led by a Premier. Their powers are given to them by the federal government, while provinces' powers come straight from the Constitution.
  • In the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, the members do not belong to political parties. They work by consensus: they talk until most agree, and the members choose the Premier together.

Municipal governments

  • Each municipality (city, town, township, village) has a council: a mayor or reeve, plus councillors.
  • In Ontario, councils are elected every four years in October. The next election is on Monday, October 26, 2026.
  • Councils make local rules called by-laws (about noise, pets, parking, what can be built where).
  • Municipalities exist because the province creates them and gives them their powers.
FEDERALleader: Prime Ministermeets: Parliament,Ottawa343 elected MPsPROVINCIALleader: Premiermeets: Queen's Park,Toronto124 elected MPPsMUNICIPALleader: mayor or reevemeets: city or town hallcouncil makes by-lawselected every 4 years
Each level has its own leader, meeting place and representatives: 343 MPs in Ottawa, 124 MPPs at Queen's Park, and a mayor or reeve with councillors in each municipality.
LevelSome things in its jurisdiction
FederalNational defence (Canadian Armed Forces); money and coins; mail (Canada Post); citizenship and passports; criminal law (the Criminal Code); relations with other countries; fisheries and oceans; national parks; many responsibilities to First Nations and Inuit
Provincial / territorialEducation and schools; hospitals and health care; driver's licences and provincial highways (like the 401); natural resources such as forests and minerals; provincial parks; creating municipalities
MunicipalDrinking water and sewers; garbage, recycling and green bins; local streets, sidewalks and snow plowing; fire services; public libraries; local parks, arenas and pools; public transit; local by-laws
Some of the jurisdiction of each level of government. Some areas, like the environment and immigration, are shared. You will learn about sharing in another lesson.

Who represents you?

Wherever you live in Ontario, you have one MP (federal), one MPP (provincial) and a mayor or reeve and councillor(s) (municipal). Many people also have a school board trustee, and people in First Nations communities have a chief and council. You can find your representatives by searching your postal code on the Elections Canada and Elections Ontario websites, or on your municipality's website.

Worked example

Let's figure out who is in charge

Who would you contact about each problem? (a) A big pothole on your street. (b) Your grandmother needs a new passport. (c) Your school needs more classrooms.

  1. (a) Local streets belong to the municipality. Contact your councillor or call the town or city.
  2. (b) Passports and citizenship belong to the federal government. Contact the federal passport office, or your MP for help.
  3. (c) Education is provincial: the province funds schools. The school board decides how to use school buildings, so start with your trustee and the school board, or your MPP.

(a) Municipal (councillor), (b) Federal (MP / passport office), (c) Provincial education system (school board trustee or MPP).

Worked example

Let's match the titles

Match each leader to the level: Prime Minister, Premier of Ontario, Mayor.

  1. The Prime Minister leads the federal government in Ottawa.
  2. The Premier leads a provincial or territorial government. Ontario's Premier works at Queen's Park.
  3. The Mayor (or reeve) leads a municipal council.

Prime Minister → federal; Premier → provincial/territorial; Mayor → municipal.

Just for fun

Riddle: What do the snowplow on your street and the snowplow on Highway 401 have in common?

They both push snow! But they work for different governments: your street is municipal, and the 401 is provincial.

Hands-on activity

Government scavenger hunt at home

With a grown-up, hunt for things at home that connect to each level of government. Make a three-column chart: Federal, Provincial, Municipal.

Ideas to look for:

  • A coin or bill (federal: Canada's money)
  • A stamp or a letter delivered by Canada Post (federal)
  • A passport (federal; look only, keep it safe)
  • An Ontario health card or driver's licence (provincial; look only, don't copy the numbers)
  • A school report card (provincial education system, run by a school board)
  • A garbage and recycling calendar, a water bill or a library card (municipal)

Try to find at least two things for each level. Which column was easiest to fill?

Your turn

1

Name Canada's three main levels of government.

2

Where does the federal government meet?

3

What is the leader of Ontario's government called?

4

Which level of government is in charge of garbage pickup?

5

Which level is in charge of schools and education?

6

What does jurisdiction mean?

7

What is an MP? Where do they work?

More practice: warm-up

1

Which level makes Canada's coins?

2

Which level runs public libraries?

3

What do we call Ontario's elected members at Queen's Park?

4

Which level runs the Canadian Armed Forces?

5

Who leads a municipal council?

More practice: on your own

1

A highway like the 401 and your neighbourhood street are both roads. Why are they looked after by different governments?

2

How are the governments of territories different from provincial governments?

3

Why do you think defence and money are federal, not provincial?

4

Name your three kinds of elected representatives, from federal to local.

5

Who is in the Senate, and how do they get there?

Challenge

1

A family wants a stop sign at a dangerous corner near their school. Who should they contact first, and why?

2

Why might it be helpful to have three levels instead of one government for everything?

3

Canada has a King, but Canadians elect their governments. Explain how both can be true.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which level of government is in charge of passports?

2.

Where does Ontario's provincial government meet?

3.

What does jurisdiction mean?

4.

Which service is municipal?

5.

Who leads the federal government?

6.

In which territories do members work by consensus, without political parties?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Each level of government has its own jurisdiction. Federal: the whole country (defence, money, passports, mail). Provincial: things across a province (schools, hospitals, highways, natural resources). Municipal: local services (water, garbage, local roads, libraries).

How to help at home:

  • Look up your MP, MPP, mayor and councillor together using your postal code.
  • With the Ontario municipal election on Monday, October 26, 2026, point out election signs and talk about what a council does. Keep it non-partisan: focus on the job, not who to vote for.
  • When a service comes up in daily life (bus, library, hospital), ask: "Which level runs that?"

Common difficulties:

  • Thinking the Prime Minister is in charge of everything. Provinces and municipalities have their own powers.
  • Mixing up MPs and MPPs. MP = Ottawa (federal); MPP = Queen's Park (Ontario).
  • Schools. Education is provincial, but elected school boards run the schools; that is the next lesson.