There are four orders of government in Canada: municipal, regional districts and agencies, provincial or territorial, and federal. Each have distinct responsibilities but often work together to serve the public.
Municipal Governments
The City of Coquitlam, like other municipal governments, establishes local rules and bylaws, and delivers services that support the community. Municipal services typically include roads and sidewalks, fire protection, public transit, garbage collection, sewer and drainage, and the maintenance of parks, green spaces, and recreation facilities.
Regional Districts and Agencies
Metro Vancouver, a regional district, oversees services that cross municipal boundaries, like water, regional parks and waste management. TransLink, a regional agency, oversees transportation in the Metro Vancouver region.
Provincial or Territorial Governments
Provincial or territorial governments, like the Government of British Columbia, make decisions for the entire province or territory. They are responsible for areas such as education, health care and hospitals, affordable housing and homelessness support and provincial taxes.
Federal Government
The Government of Canada—also known as the Federal Government—manage matters that impact the entire country. This includes national defence, the postal service, the Supreme Court, federal income tax, and employment insurance.
Who Does What?
For some services, it’s easy to identify which level of government is responsible. For example, national defence and the postal service clearly fall under the Federal Government. Other services are less straightforward and may be jointly delivered by two or more levels of government.
Funding Sources
Municipal governments rely on several key funding sources to provide services:
- Municipal property taxes
- Funding from provincial and federal governments
- Developer levies
Some programs and services, such as housing, have a degree of shared responsibility between the provincial and federal governments, which can make it challenging to know which level of government should take the lead on a specific topic or area.
Additionally, when federal or provincial funding is not adequate or cut in a specific area, the impacts are generally felt most acutely at the municipal level, forcing municipalities to provide these services.
As an organization, the City advocates to other levels of government on behalf of its residents to ensure appropriate funding and supports are in place.
Residents with concerns about funding that impacts municipal programs and services can also reach out to their federal MP (Member of Parliament) or provincial MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly).