Levels of Government

Canada is a parliamentary democracy based on the British form of government. There are three levels of government in Canada: federal, provincial, and municipal. Each level of government has a separate area of authority and different roles and responsibilities. There is some overlap between these two levels of government, known as areas of concurrent jurisdiction, but we won’t get into that here.

Below you will find a rough outline of the different areas of jurisdiction, as well as some contact resources. My office is here to help you with issues under provincial jurisdiction, but if your problem requires assistance from a different level of government we are more than happy to help guide you in the right direction – just contact the office and we will do our best to point assist you.

Provincial

The provincial government has authority over laws and acts that affect only the people of their province. This includes education, health care, social welfare, housing, labour standards, and highways.

If you need assistance with a matter under provincial jurisdiction, you contact your Member of Provincial Parliament, or MPP. If you live in the electoral riding of Kitchener South – Hespeler, then I am your MPP and you can contact me through my office.

If you don’t live in Kitchener South – Hespeler and you’re not sure who your MPP is then click here and scroll down to find out.

Federal

The federal Parliament has the responsibility for policies and activities that affect all of Canada, such as banking, criminal law, national defence​, passports, and citizenship and immigration. If you need assistance with a matter under federal jurisdiction, then you contact your Member of Parliament, or MP. If you live in the electoral riding of Kitchener South – Hespeler, then your MP is Valerie Bradford. You can find contact information for Ms. Bradford by clicking here.

If you don’t live in Kitchener South – Hespeler and you’re not sure who your MP is then click here and scroll down to find out.

Municipal

Municipal governments are given their authority by the provincial government. Municipalities are responsible for property taxes, property standards, zoning, business licenses, animal control, sanitation services, and other local by-laws. Municipalities are often divided into wards and voters elect councillors who represent them at city or town council.

The electoral riding of Kitchener South – Hespeler straddles two cities, Cambridge and Kitchener. It also sits within the Regional Municipality of Waterloo Region, which adds an additional layer of municipal government.

If you need assistance with a matter under municipal jurisdiction, you should start by figuring out who your city councillor is.

As a resident of Hespeler, you can visit the City of Cambridge website here and use your address to determine your ward and your councillor.

As a resident of South Kitchener, you can visit the City of Kitchener website here and again use your address to determine your ward and your councillor.