Local government 101

North Cowichan is a local government and is responsible for many programs and services people depend on every day. This includes drinking water, wastewater, garbage collection, local roads, municipal parks, recreation, planning, engineering, and building permits (to name a few).

Local governments can't just make up the rules as they go. In British Columbia, their authority comes from the province.  Two of the key pieces of legislation that set out how local governments operate are the Community Charter and the Local Government Act. These laws set out what local governments can do and how they operate, including providing services, collecting property taxes, adopting bylaws, and holding elections.

Who does what

There are four levels of government in British Columbia (and generally speaking, across Canada, though the function of the regional district level varies considerably across provinces). Knowing which level of government is responsible for what can help you navigate where to direct your concerns and understand what’s at stake during elections. Each level of government plays a unique role in our lives and understanding what each level handles helps us all to be informed and engaged citizens.

Municipal government - North CowichanRegional district - Cowichan Valley Regional DistrictProvincial governmentFederal government
Governance: Mayor and six councillors (elected)

Governance: Chair and Board of Directors (appointees from member municipalities plus individually elected Area Directors for unincorporated areas)

cvrd.ca

Governance: Premier and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)

gov.bc.ca

Governance: Prime Minister and Members of Parliament (MPs)

canada.ca

Responsibilities:

  • Animal control
  • Business licensing
  • Bylaw enforcement
  • Community planning and development
  • Drinking water treatment and supply
  • Economic development
  • Fire and rescue services
  • Garbage, recycling, and organics collection 
  • Municipal forest reserve
  • Municipal property tax
  • Parks, trails and playgrounds (municipal parks)
  • North Cowichan-Duncan RCMP
  • Recreation facilities and programs
  • Streets and sidewalks (local roads)
  • Sewer and storm water drainage
  • Snow removal

Responsibilities:

  • Emergency Management Cowichan (regional emergency response)
  • Economic development (region-wide)
  • Landfill and transfer stations
  • Public transportation 
  • Regional parks (e.g., Stoney Hill Regional Park)
  • Recycling depot
  • Regional recreation programs and services

Responsibilities:

  • Birth, death, and marriage registration
  • Children and youth services
  • Economic development (province-wide)
  • Education (school districts SD79)
  • Electricity
  • Emergency and disaster management
  • Environment and parks (provincial parks)
  • Fishing and hunting licensing and regulations
  • Gaming and lotteries
  • Highways and provincial roads
  • Housing
  • Health care and hospitals (Island Health)
  • Income and disability assistance
  • Labour (e.g., employment standards)
  • Liquor and cannabis distribution and regulation
  • Mental health and addiction
  • Natural resource management
  • Post-secondary education
  • Property assessments
  • Provincial courts and laws
  • Provincial parks
  • Provincial sales tax (PST)
  • Provincial sales and income tax
  • Resource extraction (mines, minerals, forestry)
  • Vehicle and driver licensing (through ICBC)
  • Tenant and landlord supports
  • Transportation (BC Transit, BC Ferries)
  • Wildlife stewardship

Responsibilities:

  • Airports and air traffic
  • Borders and passports
  • Canadian pension plan and old age security
  • Child benefit
  • Criminal law
  • Employment and social development (e.g., EI)
  • Environment
  • Federal income and sales taxes (GST)
  • Fisheries, oceans, and national parks
  • Foreign affairs
  • Human rights
  • Immigration and citizenship
  • National defence
  • Postal services
  • Student loans

First Nations

First Nations exist and operate outside these government bodies. Generally speaking, First Nations reserve lands are governed through a mix of federal law (the Indian Act) and self-governance agreements. While the Constitution of Canada gives the federal government authority over Indigenous Peoples and reserve lands, most First Nations or band councils manage their reserve land and resources. 

Six First Nation jurisdictions are found within the general boundary areas of North Cowichan:

Supporting organizations

Local government elected officials and staff are supported through a variety of local, provincial, and federal bodies. These organizations offer grant funding for specific programs, opportunities to discuss collective actions, lobbying other levels of government for support on projects or policies, or simply provide training and professional development.

  • AVICC (Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities) avicc.ca (this is one of five area associations that operate under the UBCM umbrella)
  • UBCM (Union of British Columbia Municipalities) www.ubcm.ca
  • FCM (Federation of Canadian Municipalities) fcm.ca/en
  • LGMA (Local Government Management Association) lgma.ca
  • VIEA (Vancouver Island Economic Alliance) viea.ca

Additional resources and links