From Wiki

• Like the United States and Australia, Canada has a federal government.

• It is comprised of provinces and territories that are cobbled together in a fairly loose federation.

• But please note that, in Canada, we call them provinces and territories, not states.

• When people refer to the "Canadian government," they are referring to the federal government. It is responsible for:
  • foreign affairs
  • national defence
  • citizenship
  • immigration
  • employment insurance
  • criminal law
  • federal tax collection

• Provincial governments are responsible for:
  • health
  • education
  • transportation regulations (the licensing of vehicles and the people who drive them)
  • welfare
  • administration of justice within the province

• Municipalities typically provide civic services, such as:
  • water
  • sewerage services
  • electricity
  • garbage collection and disposal
  • public transportation (in larger towns and cities)
  • roads within the municipal boundaries
  • police services (in some cases)

• Because the United Kingdom is a unitary state, newly arrived British expats can be confused by the way in which things are done in Canada.

• As a newly arrived expat, here are some things that may surprise you:
  • There may be some differences between the school system in which your child studies and the school system in the neighbouring municipality.
  • When you move from one province to another, you have to exchange your driver's licence.
  • When you move provinces, you have to switch to your new province's health care insurance plan.
  • You may very well need to register with a different professional or trade organization when you relocate to a different province.
  • You may find that, in your province, there are different police services, e.g., the Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP), who work for the federal government, provincial police, and municipal police.
  • In your province, you'll probably encounter national parks, provincial parks, and city parks.
  • If you give birth to a child in Canada, his/her birth certificate will be issued by the province in which he/she was born, but his/her passport will be issued by the federal government.
  • The provinces on either side of you have provincial sales tax (PST) rates that are different from your province's PST rate.