Answer:
The federal government is the national government of Canada, centred in Ottawa. The term can refer narrowly to the Canadian Cabinet, or more broadly to the Cabinet and the public service.
Parliament
Canadian Parliament
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The Centre Block of the federal Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, home to the House of Commons and the Senate. Photo taken on: May 17, 2014
The federal government is the national government of Canada, centred in Ottawa. The term can refer narrowly to the Canadian Cabinet, or more broadly to the Cabinet and the public service. The federal government plays a huge role in Canadians' lives — from the collection of taxes to the delivery of social services, and from the supervision of international trade to the safeguarding of national security.
Confederation
Canadians followed the American example in 1867 when they created a federation with powers split between two levels of government. At the same time, Canada’s leaders sought to avoid the problems they saw with the American system. In their view, the American Civil War (1861–1865) came about in part because the United States central government was too weak. As a result, Canada’s founding document, the British North America Act of 1867, created a powerful federal government and weaker provincial governments. (See also Constitution.)
The provinces were given responsibility for primarily private or local matters, such as hospitals, schools, charities, municipalities, shops, taverns, transportation within a province, onshore natural resources, and property and civil rights. Everything else was placed in the hands of the federal government, which was charged with maintaining “the Peace, Order, and good Government of Canada.” The federal government was also given the power to disallow provincial laws.
The Quebec Conference of 1864, where provincial and federal powers were decided, before Confederation
QuЋbec Conference, 1864
