Local government in Canada

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Below federal and provincial governments in Canada are local governments.

Most local governments are formed by a charters or acts granted by the province or territory. Local governments are not mentioned in the Canadian Constitution other than to say they are responsibility of the provinces. Consequently, municipalities can be created, amalgamated, or disbanded at the whim of the provincial government which controls them. They are also limited in the amount of interaction they have with the federal government because this would infringe upon an area of provincial jurisdiction.

Since each province is responsible for creating local governments in its own territory, the names, fuctions, and powers of local bodies vary widely across the country.

Some examples:

Local governments have limited powers, namely creating local by-laws and taxation (property tax).

Besides local municipalities, local government includes bodies such as school boards, and regional health authorities.