ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Canadian federalism

Imagine if you and your friends were going on a field trip to the zoo. You all have different ideas of what animals you want to see and how long you want to stay. That's kind of like how Canada works.

Canada is a big country with different provinces and territories, kind of like your class has different students with different personalities. Each province and territory has its own government, kind of like your class has its own teacher.

But, just like your teacher still makes sure everyone follows the rules, the Canadian government also has rules that all the provinces and territories have to follow. This is called federalism.

The government in Canada is divided into two parts: the federal government and the provincial or territorial government. This means that Canada has two sets of leaders - one group to make laws for the whole country, and then another group in each individual province or territory to make laws just for their area.

For example, the federal government might decide that everyone in Canada has to wear masks in public places during a pandemic, but it's up to each province or territory to make sure people follow that rule in their area.

Overall, federalism in Canada means that the country can have laws that work for everyone, but also allows each province and territory to have some control over what happens where they live.