bicameralism

A bicameral parliament is one which has two chambers , a lower house and an upper house.  The lower house is often called the legislative assembly or house of assembly and, in parliamentary systems , is the house where the government is formed.  The Canadian parliament is bicameral with the non-elected Senate as the upper house, the House of Commons as the lower house.

British Columbia has always had a unicameral parliament, with its single chamber known as the legislative assembly .  Some provinces joined confederation with upper houses but all of these have since been abolished, the last being Quebec’s Legislative Council in 1968.