Meaning of "Feds" in Canadian English?

Question

Examples:

"Feds will make music downloading illegal, Heritage minister says."

and

"Feds to look at offering Canadians option to increase CPP contributions"

My best guess is simply Federal Government, I however suspect it might have a more precise meaning.

In the U.S. it's often used specifically to refer to the the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Although it works for both. — Parthian Shot, Jun 26 '15 at 23:04
In economics/finance Fed (not Feds) refers exclusively to the US Federal Reserve. — snoram, Jun 27 '15 at 01:49
@snoram - and therefore clearly not relevant to the OPs question, is it? — James McLeod, Jun 27 '15 at 02:06

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 27 '15 at 01:53

1

Yes, in Canada, "Feds" means the current federal government, as opposed provincial or municipal governments. Unlike in the US, it means the law makers rather than any law enforcement agency.

answered Jun 27 '15 at 01:53

James McLeod

9,207

In the US the term refers to a regulatory agency or law enforcement. – Jason M Jun 27 '15 at 02:02
I didn't realize that. Can you give an example of a regulatory agency so called? – James McLeod Jun 27 '15 at 02:05
It's common in political articles especially to refer to the source of grant money or regulations as the feds. The FCC is very commonly referred to as 'the feds'. The EPA is another I've seen called 'the feds' quite often. – Jason M Jun 27 '15 at 02:23
I guess that nuance doesn't make it over the border in the TV shows I watch. Thanks. – James McLeod Jun 27 '15 at 02:25
Do you know what "feds" stands for, i.e. the word? Is it a generic reference to the central government, or is it a specific reference to the Members of Parliament from all the Federal Electoral Districts. Do you call "feds" an agent from Ocean Canada? Is it about the government or the House? Thank you! – Jun 27 '15 at 10:57
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It refers to the central government, but I don't have a source for any of this. The term includes the bureaucracy as well as the elected representatives. – James McLeod Jun 27 '15 at 11:04

Meaning of "Feds" in Canadian English?

1 Answers1