Canada's Statutory Holidays 

While there are a number of holidays in Canada, it's important to note that several of these holidays are informal, celebratory occasions.  Listed below are "Statutory Holidays", which are the days governments (federal, provincial or territorial) deem businesses must make certain allowances, varying by jurisdiction and/or occasion.  This may mean all stores must close, or simply that employees must be paid a premium to work on these statutory holidays. 

For the most part, on these holidays, offices, government services and banks will be closed.  Some services, of course, are open 24/7/365, including airports, major border crossings, railway and bus stations and gas stations.  The closing of stores can vary from one province to another, and even within a city.  However, most major stores will be closed on the holidays outlined below, and, on the "major holidays" (e.g. Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter), expect an even greater number of closings. 

However, in Alberta many stores will be open on holidays, from at least 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Note that Prince Edward Island is the only province that considers every Sunday to be a holiday, meaning most stores (including large grocery stores) are only open six days per week. In PEI, stores may be open on Sundays throughout December only. In general, if you need to go shopping on a Sunday or holiday in Canada for anything beyond groceries, your best bet is to head for a major mall or a store belonging to a major chain (e.g. Canadian Tire, London Drugs).

For holidays that fall on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is usually observed as the holiday for offices, government services and banks. 

Statutory Holidays in 2009 and 2010

Informal Holidays

Many days are not statutory holidays, but are still marked with festivities or even time off granted by employers beyond what is required by provincial legislation. Since they can affect your visit in various ways, they are listed below:

Valentine's Day: Feb. 14. A celebration of romantic relationships.The second busiest day of the year for Canadian dine-in restaurants. The busiest day of the year for florists and chocolate shops. 

St. Patrick's Day: Mar. 17. Celebration of Irish heritage. Some Newfoundland businesses and government offices may close for St. Patrick's Day or the closest Monday.

April Fool's Day: Apr. 1. A day for tricks and practical jokes. In some areas, according to local tradition, jokes are supposed to end at noon.

St. George's Day: Apr. 23. Celebration of British heritage. Some Newfoundland businesses and government offices may close for St. George's Day or the closest Monday.

Mother's Day: Second Sunday in May. A day to honour mothers and grandmothers. The busiest day of the year for Canadian dine-in restaurants.

Father's Day: Third Sunday in June. A day to honour fathers and grandfathers.

Discovery Day: Newfoundland only. June 24. Some Newfoundland businesses and government offices may close for Discovery Day or the closest Monday.

Jour Déménagement (Moving Day): Quebec only. 1 July. For historic reasons, most leases in Quebec expire on July 1, so traffic in Montreal and Quebec City can become quite busy with the large numbers of people moving house on this day.

Stampede Parade Day: Calgary, Alberta only. First Friday in July after July 1 (Canada Day). Most office-based businesses give their employees the morning of the Calgary Stampede parade off with pay, so that they can take their families to the Stampede parade. A large part of downtown is blocked off for the parade route.

Orangemen's Day: Newfoundland only. July 12. Some Newfoundland businesses and government offices may close for Orangemen's Day or the closest Monday.

Natal Day / August Civic Holiday: Nova Scotia only. First Monday in August. Some local businesses and government offices may close. 

Regatta Day: St. John's, Newfoundland only. First Wednesday in August. Most businesses and government offices will close for Regatta Day.

Halloween: Oct. 31. A day for celebrating the spooky and scary, and dressing up in a wide variety of costumes. After dark, children go from house to house dressed in costume, begging for candy treats, so be very careful when driving in suburban areas after nightfall.

Christmas Eve: Dec. 24. Expect most retailers and other businesses to close early, usually around noon for offices and 4 p.m. for stores.

Boxing Day: Dec. 26.  In Alberta many shoppers rise early to line up for Boxing Day Sales.  Except for the retail industry, which works on Boxing Day, nearly all other businesses are closed.  It is not a statutory holiday in Alberta, but granting workers a paid holiday on this date is a widespread custom.