Since the 1860s, Canadians have produced a land of many governments. So numerous are our governments that Statistics Canada counts them from time to time. The latest count indicates that we have more than 6000 governments, which include the federal government the provincial and territorial governments, city and town governments, regional governments, counties, townships, villages, villes and municipal districts. Because so many governments affect the lives of Canadians, it is important to understand what our parliamentary system is and how it works.
Democracy
Parliament
Today our Parliament buildings present a beautiful blend of stateliness and architectural style. The walls in these buildings tell the story of Canada with great detail and decoration. Bold gargoyles make faces at passersby, birds and animals come to life in sculpture, and events from our history are played out in stone.
Where does Parliament get the authority to do what it does? It all starts with the Constitution. The Constitution gives the federal Parliament in Ottawa the power to make laws for all of Canada in certain areas of national responsibility. But, provincial legislatures are also Parliaments too, and the Constitution says that they can make laws in those areas of provincial responsibility. Over the years the provinces also gained certain powers by negotiations between the federal government and the provinces.
