What is your responsibility as a Canadian citizen?

The responsibilities of Canadian citizenship are listed in Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship, the official guide published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The six core responsibilities are: obeying the law, taking responsibility for oneself and one's family, serving on a jury when called, voting in elections, helping others in the community, and protecting and enjoying Canada's heritage and environment.

Some responsibilities are legal obligations enforceable by the state. Obeying federal, provincial, and municipal laws is the most basic legal duty and applies to every person in Canada, citizen or not. Filing tax returns and paying taxes owed under the Income Tax Act, the Excise Tax Act, and provincial statutes is another legal obligation. Serving on a jury when called under provincial jury statutes is a legal obligation specific to Canadian citizens, with provincial exemptions available for hardship.

Other responsibilities are civic rather than legal. Voting is not legally compulsory in Canada (unlike in Australia or Belgium), but Discover Canada describes it as a fundamental responsibility of citizenship. The Canada Elections Act sets the federal voting age at 18 and provides for federal elections normally every four years. Volunteering, charitable giving, and community service are encouraged but not required. Care for the environment is supported by constitutional and statutory frameworks including the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and the federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act of 2018.

Citizenship also brings rights that come with corresponding responsibilities. The right to a Canadian passport and consular protection abroad comes with the responsibility to comply with Canadian and host-country law. The right to vote comes with the responsibility to inform oneself about candidates and policies. The right to public services such as healthcare and education comes with the responsibility to help fund those services through taxation. The Oath of Citizenship taken at the citizenship ceremony commits new citizens to faithful allegiance, observance of the laws including the Constitution and its recognition of Aboriginal and treaty rights, and to fulfilling the duties of a Canadian citizen.