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EspañolPUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN CANADA
(Redirected from Holidays in Canada)
'Canadian national holidays' (''with provincial exceptions'')[1]:
Each province of Canada has its own provincial holiday(s). Although not official holidays, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Hallowe'en are traditionally celebrated by Canadians.
The observance of individuals' religious holidays is widely accepted as well (see Multiculturalism). For example, some school children and employees take days off for Jewish holidays, Muslim holidays, or Eastern Orthodox observances according to the Julian calendar.
A 'statutory holiday' (also known as "general" or "public" holiday) in Canada is legislated either through the federal, provincial, or territorial governments. Most workers, public or private, are entitled to take the day off with regular pay. However, for businesses that are normally open employers may require employees to work on such a holiday, but in this case must be paid at a premium rate -- usually 1½ (known as "time and a half") or 2 times (known as "double time") the regular pay (except for high technology workers in British Columbia)[2]. In most provinces, when a statutory holiday falls on a normal day off (generally a weekend), the following work day is considered a statutory holiday.
The nine statutory holidays listed above are mandated by federal legislation for federally regulated employees, as is Easter Monday. All banks apply these holidays to their schedule.
It is difficult to get a clear indication from the various federal and provincial government web sites as to which holidays result in a Monday off (or any other day off) when a holiday falls on a weekend, for example Remembrance Day 2007. However, http://www.workrights.ca has some almost-definitive information. According to this site at this page, if a holiday occurs on a day that is normally worked, then "... another day off with pay will be provided." There are some exceptions noted, such as Alberta.
Provinces and territories generally adopt the same holidays as the federal government with some variations:
★ - 9 holidays
★
★ 'Heritage Day' - first Monday of August is not a statutory holiday.
★
★ Boxing Day is not a statutory holiday.
★
★ 'Remembrance Day' Remembrance Day - November 11
★
★ 'Family Day' - third Monday in February
★ - 9 holidays
★
★ Boxing Day is not a statutory holiday.
★
★ 'British Columbia Day' - first Monday in August
★
★ 'Remembrance Day' Remembrance Day - November 11
★ - 9 holidays
★
★ Manitoba's newest unnamed holiday will be celebrated on the 3rd Monday of February starting February 18th 2008. This holiday is similar to 'Family Day' in Alberta and Saskatchewan
★
★ Remembrance Day and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays, although only the Retail Sector is open on these days within specific regulatory guidelines for hours of service.
★
★ Remembrance Day is not termed a statutory holiday, but rather an "Official day of Observance", and must be paid overtime if required to work on this day. Most Manitobans, with the exception of the retail sector, get the day off.
★
★ First Monday in August.
★ - 7 holidays
★
★ Victoria Day, Thanksgiving, and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays.
★
★ 'New Brunswick Day' - first Monday in August
★ - up to 11 holidays (most observed on closest Monday) per the Shops' Closing Act
★
★ All federal holidays as listed above. Canada Day is additionally celebrated as 'Memorial Day'.
★
★ 'Easter Sunday' (in some cases, e.g. banks, observed on Monday)
★
★ Unlike most other provinces, there is no province-wide holiday on the first Monday in August. It may be seen as redundant due to the Royal St. John's Regatta, which is observed as a civic holiday in St. John's on the first Wednesday in August (weather permitting). Harbour Grace has a similar holiday for its regatta. All other municipalities are entitled to designate one day a year as a civic holiday, however many do not take advantage of this.
★
★ St. Patrick's Day (March 17), St. George's Day (April 23), Discovery Day (June 24) and Orangemen's Day (July 12) have not been observed as statutory holidays since 1992. They are, however, observed by the provincial government.
★ - 10 holidays
★
★ 'National Aboriginal Day' - June 21
★ - 5 holidays
★
★ Victoria Day, Thanksgiving, Boxing Day and Remembrance Day are not statutory holidays.
★
★ Remembrance Day, although not a statutory holiday, is defined under the province's Remembrance Day Act as a holiday where employers have the option of giving Remembrance Day or an alternate day off. [3]
★
★ 'Natal Day' - First Monday in August is not a statutory holiday but a common day off.
★ - 9 holidays
★
★ Nunavut Day - July 9, originated as a paid holiday for Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and regional Inuit associations. It became a ½ day holiday for Government employees in 1999 and a full day in 2001. Most employers give the day off with the notable exceptions being the Federal Government and the North West Company.
★
★ Boxing Day is not a statutory holiday.
★
★ First Monday in August.
★ - 8 holidays
★
★ Remembrance Day is not a statutory holiday in Ontario.
★
★ Although not a statutory holiday, municipalities may designate the first Monday in August as a civic holiday. This is called 'Simcoe Day' in Toronto, and 'Colonel By Day' in Ottawa[4] [5], with other areas using other names.
★ - 6 holidays
★
★ The August Civic holiday, Easter Monday, Thanksgiving, and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays. However, Federal Government employees (and some Provincial employees) do have arrangements in their collective agreements to receive these as paid days off. Provincial employees in some cases have bargained for the Gold Cup and Saucer Day in place of the August Civic holiday.
★ - 8 holidays
★
★ By law, Employers must give either Good Friday or Easter Monday as a statutory holiday, however most will give both days.
★
★ Victoria Day coincides with 'National Patriotes Day'.
★
★ 'Fête Nationale' (St. John the Baptist’s Day) - June 24
★
★ Construction Holiday takes place during the last two weeks of July — while it applies officially only to the construction industry, many other Quebecers arrange to take their vacations during these two weeks.
★
★ Many of the specific details of employment law are quite different in Quebec.
★ - 9 holidays
★
★ 'Family Day' - third Monday in February
★
★ 'Saskatchewan Day' - first Monday in August
★ - 9 holidays
★
★ 'Discovery Day' - third Monday in August
Many employers give their employees days off that may not be statutory holidays in the particular province, particularly Boxing Day. Similarly, many federally regulated employees have negotiated additional holidays, that are common holidays in the provinces such that many also take Easter Monday and the first Monday in August.
In Canada, there are two definitions of the term '"civic holiday"':
By law, a civic holiday is defined as any holiday which is legally recognized and for which employers are obliged to offer holiday pay.
Another common definition of the civic holiday refers to a particular annual holiday, celebrated on the first Monday of August in most Canadian provinces. However, this definition is far from uniform nationwide. Two provinces and one territory do not recognize it at all, and five other provinces do not oblige employers to offer holiday pay on this day, thus making it a civic holiday in the legal sense. No universal name is recognized for this holiday, either — the official name varies between the provinces and even between municipalities within Ontario. In British Columbia this day is known as BC Day.
Some cities also have statutory holidays that are celebrated only within the city limits. For instance, the morning of the Stampede Parade is often given (particularly to downtown workers) as a half-day holiday in the city of Calgary.
In recent years there has been a call for the Canadian government to recognize St. Patrick's Day as a national holiday. Currently it is a holiday only for provincial government employees in Newfoundland and Labrador. This proposal has been promoted by the Guinness corporation.
The other leading candidate for a new holiday is a weekend in February to celebrate the anniversary of the Canadian flag, or more likely a general "Heritage Day". February 15 is already designated as Flag Day, but this is simply a day of commemoration, not a statutory holiday.
The major Canadian breweries have long lobbied for a holiday in June.
Some Canadians believe that the country does not have enough holidays (in comparison to the United States and the United Kingdom. Although these nations have about the same number of nationally recognized holidays, they generally receive more days off work and school). Proposals for more work holidays are strongly opposed by many employers, however.
In the province of Nova Scotia, due to a relative lack of days off, there has been debate over the introduction of a statutory holiday in the month of February. However, no action has been taken so far.
★ National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on December 6
★ Canadian Multiculturalism Day on June 27
★ National Aboriginal Solidarity Day on June 21
★ Commonwealth Day on the second Monday in March. This has been observed as a holiday in some Commonwealth countries.
1. Statutory Holidays
2. http://www.labour.gov.bc.ca/esb/facshts/high_tech.htm
3. http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/statutes/remembrc.htm Province of Nova Scotia Remembrance Day Act
4. http://www.choocopo.ca/english/CB-day07.html
5. http://www.toronto.com/travel/article/000-000-317
★ Public Holidays
★ Holidays in provinces and territories
★ Workrights.ca
★ Alberta General Holidays and General Holiday Pay
★ Government of B.C. - Statutory Holidays in British Columbia
★ Statutory Holidays in Quebec
★ Public holidays and other important dates at Canadian Heritage
★ Ontario public holidays
★ Details on the August holiday
★ A holiday with history - Simcoe Day
'Canadian national holidays' (''with provincial exceptions'')[1]:
| Date | English Name | French Name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day | ''le Nouvel an (Jour de l'an)'' | Statutory. Celebrates the first day of every year in the Gregorian calendar. Also January 2 in Quebec. |
| Friday before Easter Sunday | Good Friday | ''vendredi saint'' | Statutory, except in Quebec where Easter Monday is statutory. Acknowledges the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, traditionally on 3 April, 33 AD; see Good Friday article for details. Not fully observed in Quebec. |
| Monday on or before May 24 | Victoria Day | ''la fête de la Reine'' | Statutory, except in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Celebration of the birthday of the current Canadian monarch. (Originally, May 24 was the birthday of Queen Victoria.) In Quebec, Victoria Day and the ''National Patriotes Day'' (Commemoration of the Lower Canada Rebellion) are celebrated on the same day. |
| July 1 | Canada Day | ''la fête du Canada'' | Statutory. Commemoration of Canada's 1867 Confederation. In Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Day and Memorial Day (Commemoration of the Battle of the Somme) are celebrated on the same day. If July 1 is a Sunday, the holiday is legally on July 2. |
| First Monday in September | Labour Day | ''la fête du travail'' | Statutory. |
| Second Monday in October | Thanksgiving | ''l'Action de grâce'' | Statutory, except in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. A day of general thanks for one's blessings. (Note: Thanksgiving is not celebrated on the same day as it is in the U.S.) |
| November 11 | Remembrance Day | ''le jour du souvenir'' | Statutory holiday everywhere except Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. Commemoration of Canada's war dead. Anniversary of the armistice ending World War I in 1918. |
| December 25 | Christmas Day | ''Noël'' | Statutory. Celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. |
| December 26 | Boxing Day | ''le lendemain de Noël'' | Statutory in Ontario and federal jurisdictions. Day when shops sell off excess Christmas inventory. It is not an official Holiday in Quebec or British Columbia. |
Each province of Canada has its own provincial holiday(s). Although not official holidays, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Hallowe'en are traditionally celebrated by Canadians.
The observance of individuals' religious holidays is widely accepted as well (see Multiculturalism). For example, some school children and employees take days off for Jewish holidays, Muslim holidays, or Eastern Orthodox observances according to the Julian calendar.
Statutory holidays
A 'statutory holiday' (also known as "general" or "public" holiday) in Canada is legislated either through the federal, provincial, or territorial governments. Most workers, public or private, are entitled to take the day off with regular pay. However, for businesses that are normally open employers may require employees to work on such a holiday, but in this case must be paid at a premium rate -- usually 1½ (known as "time and a half") or 2 times (known as "double time") the regular pay (except for high technology workers in British Columbia)[2]. In most provinces, when a statutory holiday falls on a normal day off (generally a weekend), the following work day is considered a statutory holiday.
Federal
The nine statutory holidays listed above are mandated by federal legislation for federally regulated employees, as is Easter Monday. All banks apply these holidays to their schedule.
Monday-izing Federal Holidays
It is difficult to get a clear indication from the various federal and provincial government web sites as to which holidays result in a Monday off (or any other day off) when a holiday falls on a weekend, for example Remembrance Day 2007. However, http://www.workrights.ca has some almost-definitive information. According to this site at this page, if a holiday occurs on a day that is normally worked, then "... another day off with pay will be provided." There are some exceptions noted, such as Alberta.
Provincial and territorial
Provinces and territories generally adopt the same holidays as the federal government with some variations:
★ - 9 holidays
★
★ 'Heritage Day' - first Monday of August is not a statutory holiday.
★
★ Boxing Day is not a statutory holiday.
★
★ 'Remembrance Day' Remembrance Day - November 11
★
★ 'Family Day' - third Monday in February
★ - 9 holidays
★
★ Boxing Day is not a statutory holiday.
★
★ 'British Columbia Day' - first Monday in August
★
★ 'Remembrance Day' Remembrance Day - November 11
★ - 9 holidays
★
★ Manitoba's newest unnamed holiday will be celebrated on the 3rd Monday of February starting February 18th 2008. This holiday is similar to 'Family Day' in Alberta and Saskatchewan
★
★ Remembrance Day and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays, although only the Retail Sector is open on these days within specific regulatory guidelines for hours of service.
★
★ Remembrance Day is not termed a statutory holiday, but rather an "Official day of Observance", and must be paid overtime if required to work on this day. Most Manitobans, with the exception of the retail sector, get the day off.
★
★ First Monday in August.
★ - 7 holidays
★
★ Victoria Day, Thanksgiving, and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays.
★
★ 'New Brunswick Day' - first Monday in August
★ - up to 11 holidays (most observed on closest Monday) per the Shops' Closing Act
★
★ All federal holidays as listed above. Canada Day is additionally celebrated as 'Memorial Day'.
★
★ 'Easter Sunday' (in some cases, e.g. banks, observed on Monday)
★
★ Unlike most other provinces, there is no province-wide holiday on the first Monday in August. It may be seen as redundant due to the Royal St. John's Regatta, which is observed as a civic holiday in St. John's on the first Wednesday in August (weather permitting). Harbour Grace has a similar holiday for its regatta. All other municipalities are entitled to designate one day a year as a civic holiday, however many do not take advantage of this.
★
★ St. Patrick's Day (March 17), St. George's Day (April 23), Discovery Day (June 24) and Orangemen's Day (July 12) have not been observed as statutory holidays since 1992. They are, however, observed by the provincial government.
★ - 10 holidays
★
★ 'National Aboriginal Day' - June 21
★ - 5 holidays
★
★ Victoria Day, Thanksgiving, Boxing Day and Remembrance Day are not statutory holidays.
★
★ Remembrance Day, although not a statutory holiday, is defined under the province's Remembrance Day Act as a holiday where employers have the option of giving Remembrance Day or an alternate day off. [3]
★
★ 'Natal Day' - First Monday in August is not a statutory holiday but a common day off.
★ - 9 holidays
★
★ Nunavut Day - July 9, originated as a paid holiday for Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and regional Inuit associations. It became a ½ day holiday for Government employees in 1999 and a full day in 2001. Most employers give the day off with the notable exceptions being the Federal Government and the North West Company.
★
★ Boxing Day is not a statutory holiday.
★
★ First Monday in August.
★ - 8 holidays
★
★ Remembrance Day is not a statutory holiday in Ontario.
★
★ Although not a statutory holiday, municipalities may designate the first Monday in August as a civic holiday. This is called 'Simcoe Day' in Toronto, and 'Colonel By Day' in Ottawa[4] [5], with other areas using other names.
★ - 6 holidays
★
★ The August Civic holiday, Easter Monday, Thanksgiving, and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays. However, Federal Government employees (and some Provincial employees) do have arrangements in their collective agreements to receive these as paid days off. Provincial employees in some cases have bargained for the Gold Cup and Saucer Day in place of the August Civic holiday.
★ - 8 holidays
★
★ By law, Employers must give either Good Friday or Easter Monday as a statutory holiday, however most will give both days.
★
★ Victoria Day coincides with 'National Patriotes Day'.
★
★ 'Fête Nationale' (St. John the Baptist’s Day) - June 24
★
★ Construction Holiday takes place during the last two weeks of July — while it applies officially only to the construction industry, many other Quebecers arrange to take their vacations during these two weeks.
★
★ Many of the specific details of employment law are quite different in Quebec.
★ - 9 holidays
★
★ 'Family Day' - third Monday in February
★
★ 'Saskatchewan Day' - first Monday in August
★ - 9 holidays
★
★ 'Discovery Day' - third Monday in August
Many employers give their employees days off that may not be statutory holidays in the particular province, particularly Boxing Day. Similarly, many federally regulated employees have negotiated additional holidays, that are common holidays in the provinces such that many also take Easter Monday and the first Monday in August.
Civic holidays
In Canada, there are two definitions of the term '"civic holiday"':
Legal definition
By law, a civic holiday is defined as any holiday which is legally recognized and for which employers are obliged to offer holiday pay.
The August holiday
Another common definition of the civic holiday refers to a particular annual holiday, celebrated on the first Monday of August in most Canadian provinces. However, this definition is far from uniform nationwide. Two provinces and one territory do not recognize it at all, and five other provinces do not oblige employers to offer holiday pay on this day, thus making it a civic holiday in the legal sense. No universal name is recognized for this holiday, either — the official name varies between the provinces and even between municipalities within Ontario. In British Columbia this day is known as BC Day.
City holidays
Some cities also have statutory holidays that are celebrated only within the city limits. For instance, the morning of the Stampede Parade is often given (particularly to downtown workers) as a half-day holiday in the city of Calgary.
Proposed holidays
In recent years there has been a call for the Canadian government to recognize St. Patrick's Day as a national holiday. Currently it is a holiday only for provincial government employees in Newfoundland and Labrador. This proposal has been promoted by the Guinness corporation.
The other leading candidate for a new holiday is a weekend in February to celebrate the anniversary of the Canadian flag, or more likely a general "Heritage Day". February 15 is already designated as Flag Day, but this is simply a day of commemoration, not a statutory holiday.
The major Canadian breweries have long lobbied for a holiday in June.
Some Canadians believe that the country does not have enough holidays (in comparison to the United States and the United Kingdom. Although these nations have about the same number of nationally recognized holidays, they generally receive more days off work and school). Proposals for more work holidays are strongly opposed by many employers, however.
In the province of Nova Scotia, due to a relative lack of days off, there has been debate over the introduction of a statutory holiday in the month of February. However, no action has been taken so far.
Other observances
★ National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on December 6
★ Canadian Multiculturalism Day on June 27
★ National Aboriginal Solidarity Day on June 21
★ Commonwealth Day on the second Monday in March. This has been observed as a holiday in some Commonwealth countries.
References
1. Statutory Holidays
2. http://www.labour.gov.bc.ca/esb/facshts/high_tech.htm
3. http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/statutes/remembrc.htm Province of Nova Scotia Remembrance Day Act
4. http://www.choocopo.ca/english/CB-day07.html
5. http://www.toronto.com/travel/article/000-000-317
External links
★ Public Holidays
★ Holidays in provinces and territories
★ Workrights.ca
★ Alberta General Holidays and General Holiday Pay
★ Government of B.C. - Statutory Holidays in British Columbia
★ Statutory Holidays in Quebec
★ Public holidays and other important dates at Canadian Heritage
★ Ontario public holidays
★ Details on the August holiday
★ A holiday with history - Simcoe Day
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