Discover How Local Government Serves Your Community!

Local government is a group of people who help run your town or city. They make sure your community is a safe and happy place to live. You can learn more about how government works by exploring Basic Government Functions.

Local government works right in your own neighbourhood. It does not work in other countries or run hospitals and schools. The people in local government care about the place where you live!

The mayor is the leader of your city or town. The mayor works at city hall, which is the building where local government does its work.

Councillors work with the mayor to help make rules for your community. Together, the mayor and councillors make decisions that help everyone. A bylaw officer checks that people follow the local rules.

Local government provides many services to keep your community clean and safe. You can learn about these in Essential Community Services and Roles of Community Workers.

• Local government workers fix roads and build sidewalks so you can travel safely.
• Local government workers collect garbage to keep your neighbourhood clean.
• Local government provides clean drinking water to your home.
• Local government clears snow from streets in winter.
• Local government builds and looks after parks and playgrounds for you to enjoy.
• Local government runs community swimming pools and community centres.
• Local government organises recycling programs to help keep cities clean.

Local government helps keep you safe through police officers and firefighters. Police keep your neighbourhood safe every day. Firefighters work at fire stations to put out fires and protect people.

Local government also makes by-laws, which are rules for your community. By-laws cover things like noise and parking to keep life running smoothly. You can explore more about this in Laws and Safety.

Local government runs many special places in your community. The public library lets you borrow books for free. A community centre offers activities like swimming and skating for you and your family.

A recycling depot is where people bring materials so they can be turned into something new. City hall is where the mayor and councillors meet to make decisions for your community. You can find out more about community places in Community Resources.

People in the community pay taxes to fund local government services. This means everyone helps pay for things like garbage pick-up, parks, and fire stations. You can learn more about community decisions in Decision Makers and the Impact of Their Choices and Balancing Individual Rights Against Public Interest.

Local Government: Local government is the group of people who run your town or city. They provide services and make rules for your community.

Mayor: The mayor is the leader of a city or town. The mayor works at city hall and helps make decisions for your community.

Councillor: A councillor is a person who works with the mayor to help make local rules and decisions for your community.

City Hall: City hall is the building where the mayor and councillors work to run your city or town.

By-law: A by-law is a local community rule made by local government. By-laws cover things like noise and parking in your neighbourhood.

Bylaw Officer: A bylaw officer is a person who checks that people in the community follow the local rules.

Fire Station: A fire station is a local government building where firefighters work to put out fires and keep people safe.

Public Library: A public library is a place run by local government where you can borrow books for free.

Community Centre: A community centre is a place run by local government that offers activities like swimming and skating for everyone.

Recycling Depot: A recycling depot is a place where people bring materials so they can be turned into something new instead of becoming garbage.

Polling Station: A polling station is a place in your community where people go to vote for the mayor.

Taxes: Taxes are money that people in the community pay to help fund local government services like parks, roads, and garbage pick-up.

You can practice by looking around your neighbourhood for local government services. Can you spot a park, a fire station, or a library near your home? Think about Civic and Environmental Duties People and Planet Stewardship and how you can help take care of your community too.

Try to name three services that local government provides in your town. You can also think about who you would call if there was a problem in your neighbourhood your local government office!

You are now ready to explore more about how communities are organised and led. Next, you will learn about Community Leadership: Mayors, Councillors, Chiefs and Meeting Places and Municipal Public Services: Transportation, Policing, Firefighting.

You will also discover how communities make big decisions in Regional Decision-Making Processes and how people help each other in Community Support: Shared Responsibility for Helping Others. You can also explore Community Services for Basic Needs to see how local government helps everyone.

This topic connects to many other important ideas about communities. In Basic Government Functions, you will learn the big jobs that all governments do. In Essential Community Services, you will explore the services that communities need every day.

You can learn about the people who do these jobs in Roles of Community Workers. To understand the rules that keep you safe, visit Laws and Safety. You can find out about the places and things your community shares in Community Resources.

Big decisions in your community are explored in Decision Makers and the Impact of Their Choices. You can also think about fairness and rights in Balancing Individual Rights Against Public Interest. Taking care of your community and the planet is covered in Civic and Environmental Duties: People and Planet Stewardship.